ABUJA, Nigeria (AhlulBayt News Agency) - Yesterday’s Free Zakzaky campaign activities had held peacefully at the National mosque, Abuja despite the widely circulated false security alert that members of the Islamic Movement had planned a “deadly protest” for Friday.
The protest yesterday took the usual format carried out on Fridays, with a rally after the Juma’at prayers demanding the immediate release of Sheikh Zakzaky. From within the mosque to outside, chants of “Free Zakzaky” rented the air, as hundreds of members waved banners, posters and flags bearing different inscriptions of the demand to free Sheikh Zakzaky as ordered by the court.
It all ended peacefully contrary to what the security agencies had widely circulated through text messages, WhatsApp messages and other social media platforms to smear the Movement and frighten the public, that the protest was going to be “deadly” and that people must avoid certain places, including the mosques.
According to the false alerts warning, residents and visitors alike were to avoid places like Banex Plaza on Aminu Kano Crescent, Wuse II and Friday Prayer Mosques, obviously in an attempt to demonize the Islamic Movement and its peaceful protest which had held daily in Abuja since the start of the year 2018, when news of the deteriorating health condition of Sheikh Zakzaky in illegal custody of the DSS filtered out.
The security alert reads:
“We are monitoring reports that the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN) at about 4pm on 19 April, 2018 is planning to converge in the vicinity of Banex Plaza on Aminu Kano Crescent, Wuse II Abuja. The IMN is also planning what it describes as a mega outing on Friday 20 April, 2018.
“This outing will target the National Mosque, Area 11 Mosque and Yoruba Mosque in Wuse II. These protests are to demand the release of the IMN detained leader, Ibrahim El-Zakzaky and his wife, who have been government detention since December 2015.
“ADVICE
“Staff in Abuja should:
“Avoid the locations of the protest as a precaution. Plan routes bypassing these locations,
“Required Action:
Share & inform Abuja based project staff immediately.
“Monitor the situation and if necessary make plans to adjust planned activities in the areas indicated.
Report and share any further incidences if witnessed”
That the protest ended peacefully once again, it has put to shame these agents of doom bent on blackmailing the Movement through giving a dog a bad name in order to hang it.
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