Long before the December 12, 2015 clash between followers of Zaria based Islamic cleric, Sheikh Ibraheem Yakub El-Zakzaky and the entourage of the immediate past Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Tukur Buratai, the outspoken preacher was already well known across the country for his belief and style that often brought him into conflict with successive administrations in Kaduna State and Abuja, the Federal Capital. But all previous confrontations have now been dwarfed by the 2015 episode which got him and his wife incarcerated for close to six years. Who really is El-Zakzaky? What does he and his moment stand for? Correspondent ABDULGAFAR ALABELEWE has the answer.
IBRAHIN Yakub El-Zakzaky is the spiritual leader of the Shi’ite Islamic sect otherwise known as Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN). He was born on May 5, 1953 in Zaria in present day Kaduna State, into the family of an Islamic scholar and farmer, Sheikh Yakub.
Zakzaky is rated the most intelligent among his siblings and peers.
He started learning and memorizing the Quran at a very early age from his father, in line with the family tradition that a child must first memorize the Quran before leaving home for further studies.
By the time he was 14 years old,he had the Quran committed to memory .He subsequently enrolled at Zaria Provincial School to learn Arabic literature.He passed out of the school in 1971.
Two years later, Zakzaky became a student of the School for Arabic Studies (SAS) in Kano, where he studied English literature, Economics, Government, Hausa, Arabic and Islamic Studies from 1971 to 1975.
On completion of his education there ,he got direct admission into Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) Zaria, where he studied Economics.He graduated in 1979.
How he started IMN
Zakzaky’s journey into Shi’ism, began in the early 70s when he became an active member of the Muslim Students Society (MSS) at ABU.He rose to become Secretary General of the association and later its national Vice Chairman.
Although, there is no clear record of exactly when Sheikh Zakzaky started following the Ahlul bayt school of thought, his elder brother, Malam Sani Yaqub traced Zakzaky’s involvement with Shi’ism to when he graduated from the School of Arabic and Islamic Studies (SAS) Kano.
He said:”When Ibrahim graduated from the School of Arabic and Islamic Studies (SAS) Kano, he started writing letters to different countries especially China and Iran, saying that he developed interest in relating with China largely because China had revolutionalised her economy through agriculture and moved her people out of hunger.
“Iran was responding to his letters by sending their books to him; trying to lure him into their creed of Shiite. Because of that, he turned his attention to Iran, especially after the Ayatollah revolution in 1979. They started having meetings in England every year, before they moved their meetings to Iran. When Iran attained a certain level of development, he sometimes travelled there twice in a year.
“When we saw that, we decided to start counseling him, particularly with our teachers Malam Sani Abdulqadir and Malam Usman Maccido because even at that time we knew that Shia was not Islam. Based on that, we sat him down to tell him the implication of what he was doing. He kept saying that he was not into Shi’a, that he was only into the struggle for revival of Islam. This started in early 1980s. When we realized that he would not listen, largely because it involved a lot of money, we left him alone.
“But our eldest brother, Malam Abdulqadir Yakubu, did not stop counseling him. In fact, about a week or so before their clash with the Army, our elder brother wrote him. In the letter, he told him that what they were doing was not part of Islam.
“Zakzaky believed that the establishment of a republic along similar religious lines in Nigeria would be feasible.”
IMN’s membership strength
In its four decades of existence in Nigeria, members of the Zakzaky led Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN) have grown from thousands to millions. In fact, the group prides itself in having a membership strength of over 10 million people, who are scattered mainly around Northern Nigeria and some neighboring countries like Niger Republic and Chad.
Shi’ite members are found majorly among students, housewives, the academia and almost all the professional callings, including the security forces.
Activities of Zakzaky’s movement
Some critics see no difference between the ideology of Zakzaky’s Shi’ite group and that of Boko Haram.
Such critics say the two groups have “having little or no regard for political establishment” and refuse to be subservient to an authority not established by the tenets of Islam.
El Zakzaky are allegedly indoctrinated to lose their belief in the establishment so much so that they pledge allegiance to him.
It was against this back ground that the military administration of Colonel Hammed Ali in Kaduna State once clashed with the group ,forcing El Zakzaky and his followers to relocate from the outskirts of Zaria where he was allegedly operating his ‘Islamic’ government to Zaria town.
Following the return of civil rule in 1999 and the emergence of Alhaji Ahmed Mohammed Makarfi as governor of the state,government decided to forget and forgive the sect’s previous ‘sins’.
But its members soon began to show their hands afresh prompting complaints after complaints from the public about alleged infringement on their rights by El Zakzaky’s followers.
The main complaint centred on how the Shi’ites often restricted other people’s movement on the highways whenever they (Shi’ite members) had their processions from one city to another.
Travellers on Kaduna-Zaria Road and Kano-Zaria Road were usually restricted to one side of the highway by the Shi’ites,and this usually happened twice a year.
Residents of Kaduna, Zaria, Kano and other Northern Nigerian cities were always at the mercy of the Shi’ites during such processions as their security personnel would subject any vehicle that crossed their path to thorough check before being allowed to pass.
In Zaria in particular where the sect leader resided,residents accused the sect members of usually mounting road blocks and subjecting motorists attempting to pass through to thorough check.
Some people say the roads were blocked totally on some occasions.
The allegations have been denied many times by the group.
In 2016 in the aftermath of the confrontation between the sect members and the entourage of the then Chief of Army Staff in Zaria,Governor Nasir El-Rufai outlawed the movement, because “IMN does not recognise the constitution of Nigeria, they do not recognize Muhammadu Buhari as President of Nigeria, they do not recognise me as governor of Kaduna state because they had their governor in Tudun Wada. Their allegiance is not to Nigerian government, their allegiance is to somewhere else.”
Continuing, the governor said: “They have their para military wing, the call them ‘Hurras’. They train them in violation of our laws. They do not accept that any law in Nigeria applies to them. They block public high ways, they occupy schools when they are doing their processions and they feel that to practice their religion, they have to infringe on the right of others. That is completely wrong!
“Because IMN doesn’t recognise Nigerian laws, they are not registered with CAC, so they cannot be sued or held responsible. They build anywhere they want without approval. They don’t even bother to acquire title to land. If you put all these facts together, IMN looks like an insurgency waiting to happen.
“IMN is a political organisation. The objective of El-Zakzaky is to gather enough followers to effect an Iranian type of Islamic Revolution in Nigeria and everyone knows what that can cause! Nigeria is not 100 per cent a Muslim country that you can do Islamic Revolution, it is a recipe for crisis.”
Corroborating Governor El-Rufai’s claims, the then State Director, Department of State Services (DSS), Mustapha Sani told the Judicial Commission of Inquiry set up by the Kaduna State government to probe the 2015 clash between IMN members and soldiers, that the Zakzaky group’s highest objective was creation of an Islamic State in Nigeria.
He said that IMN owed its allegiance to Iran where, according to him,it receives financial assistance and other support.
He said: “The sect has remained and will always remain a security threat, as their ultimate objective is the establishment of an Islamic State based on their doctrines”.
Responding to the allegations, IMN said it was not possible for them to run a parallel government ,saying: “If you say we are running a parallel government you should tell us who our governors, our commissioners are.
“In any given society or group, there are supposed to be a structure for coordinating the activities. And this is not abnormal. Name any group whatsoever; even if it is not religious, it has a structure.
“So, to claim that we are running a parallel government is a surprise. After all we are paying our taxes. In fact, I can boast that if you go to the police station you hardly see any members of the Islamic movement accused of any criminality. We are law-abiding citizens; we are not running a parallel government.”
A Quranic teacher and member of IMN, Abubakar Zaki, told Aljazeera television that he joined the movement in 1986 and claimed that “back then, the Nigerian government would even send boys to attack us.”
He said: “The tension is not between us and the Sunnis. Or us and the Christians. It is between us and those who hate the truth.
“The Islamic Movement of Nigeria is for everyone who wants the truth. It’s for anyone, Sunni or even Christians. We have a Christian forum. We have Christians who are members of the Movement. Sheikh el-Zakzaky is trying to unite everybody. Sheikh is very powerful. He has many followers.
“People say we don’t respect the Nigerian government, but then how is it that we are sending our children to government schools? Most of the children here are acquiring Western education and then in the evening time like this, they do their religious studies.
“Once you stand for the truth, you face challenges. Buhari is the leader of Nigeria but el-Zakzaky is my leader. He is the leader of justice. We must continue to denounce the injustice of the Nigerian government.”
A businessman and local politician, Adamu Salisu, wants a member of the sect to become president of Nigeria.
His words: “My brother was a Shia before me. My father is a Sunni imam and he told me if you practise what the Shia preach, people will turn against you. Evil people will go after you. My father told me that what the Shia are saying is not a lie.
“I listen to Sheikh el-Zakzaky and he speaks against stealing, corruption, and everything he mentions is found in Nigeria. So I removed myself from politics. I saw what was happening among politicians and I was disgusted. The corruption was of the highest order. I still play politics, but I know my limits.
“I joined IMN in 2012, but I had been researching IMN’s teaching for six years.
God did not create humans to become presidents and ministers. He created us so we can bring justice to the world and help the downtrodden. Sheikh el-Zakzaky is doing that. Sheikh El-Zakzaky preaches Justice. It’s not only a Muslim who needs justice. Idol worshippers need justice. Christians need justice.’
“People are saying we are violent but look at what happened in 2014 and 2015. How many of our people were killed and how many Nigerian soldiers were killed?”
Zakzaky’s many troubles with the authority
During the tenure of President Shehu Shagari in 1981, a year after the “ISLAM ONLY” procession, Sheikh Zakzaky attended a program in Sokoto where he delivered a lecture. He was arrested alongside a few others immediately after the lecture. They were subsequently arraigned before a court and sentenced to three years in jail.
Zakzaky was arrested again in 1984 by the military administration of General Muhammadu Buhari for civil disturbance in December 1984. The IMN leader was newly married then and his wife gave birth to their first child Muhammad, while he was still in custody.
General Ibrahim Babangida also arrested Sheikh Zakzaky in connection with a conflict in Kafanchan. He got a two year jail term for that. He was arrested for the second time by the Babangida government at the Aminu Kano International Airport while on his way to attend an international conference in London, but he was released five days after.
During the Sani Abacha regime, the IMN leader was arrested and detained for two years and three months from 1996 to 1999. He was alleged to have questioned the authority of the military government. Though, he was never arrested or jailed by the Obasanjo, Yar’adua and Jonathan’s governments, Zakzaky cannot be said to have enjoyed a good relationship with the administrations.
In July 2014 towards the tail end of the Jonathan administration, members of the IMN during their Quds day procession in Zaria, clashed with men of the Nigerian Army.
The army said the IMN members attacked their personnel on patrol, while the IMN alleged that the soldiers opened fire on peaceful pro Palestinians procession during which 34 sect members were allegedly killed including three biological sons of El-Zakzaky, Ahmad, Hameed and Mahmud.
The 2015 Shi’ites/Army clash and the subsequent detention/trials
The latest bloody confrontation between the sect members and the army occurred on Saturday 12th December, 2015 when soldiers on the entourage of the former Chief of Army Staff, Lt-Gen. Tukur Yusuf Buratai clashed with the Shi’ite sect members, leaving no fewer than 10 persons dead.
The then Army spokesman, Colonel Sani Kukasheka Usman said of the incident on Twitter: “Shiites attempt to assassinate the Chief of Army Staff in Zaria”.
In a statement that soon followd,he said: “The Shiite Sect on the orders of their leader, Ibrahim El-Zakzaky today (12th December) in Zaria attacked the convoy of the Chief of Army Staff while on his way to pay homage on the Emir of Zazzau and attend the Passing Out Parade of 73 Regular Recruits Intake of Depot Nigerian Army, Zaria.
“The sect numbering hundreds carrying dangerous weapons, barricaded the roads with bonfires, heavy stones and tyres. They refused all entreaties to disperse and then started firing and pelting the convoy with dangerous objects. The barricade was obviously a deliberate attempt to assassinate the Chief of Army Staff and members of his entourage while on a legitimate official assignment as Special Guest of Honour at the passing out parade which had earlier been widely publicised.
“The troops responsible for the safety and security of the Chief of Army Staff on hearing explosion and firing were left with no choice than to defend him and the convoy at all cost as well as open up the barricaded road for law abiding citizens. This is in line with the Nigerian Army Rules of Engagement and Code of Conduct. This kind of behaviour will not be tolerated from any individual or groups and should not be allowed to repeat itself.”
The army authorities also made available to the public a video recording of how the sect members rejected Army officers plea to allow their Chief passage before the situation got out of control.
Armed soldiers later moved to El-Zakzaky’s residence in Gyallesu area of Zaria at midnight and whisked away the sect leader.
The IMN alleged that, about a thousand of their members including El-Zakzaky’s son, second in command and their spokesman were killed in the process. But, the Army in a joint press conference with the police said El-Zakzaky and his wife were in protective custody and would be allowed to address his followers at a later time.
The events of the two days led to the detention of both Zakzaky and his wife Zeenat until December 2016, when the Justice Kolawole of the Federal High Court in Abuja ordered their release and also ruled that, the duo be paid damages of N50 million and a new house be built for them in their choice area within Northern Nigeria.
