A civil society organisation, Save Nigeria Movement has lambasted the leader of Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN) Sheikh Ibraheem El-Zakzaky for his claim that he fed himself through the period he was intention while the Department of State Security Service (DSS) diverted N4million voted for his monthly upkeep.

The CSO in a statement signed by its convener, Solomon Semaka and made available to journalists in Abuja said the interview granted by the sheikh betrays his calling as leader of a religious group.

Please read full text of the statement entitled ‘El Zak-Zaky Litany of Lies’, reads;

Our attention has been drawn to spurious allegations made against the Department of State Security Service by leader of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria, Sheikh Ibraheem El-Zakzaky, wherein he claimed that the DSS diverted N4million monthly meant for his upkeep while in detention when he was responsible for his feeding and other logistics.

Ordinarily, this reckless allegation would have been allowed to slip but for the fact that it was published by one of the leading newspapers in the country and circulated widely on the social media, keeping mute will give impression of consent and thereby mislead a lot of Nigerians.

Firstly, the claim by Sheikh El-Zakzaky that he was responsible for his feeding from the day he went into detention to the day he left in addition to purchasing a generator set and fuelling it runs contrary to the claim he made earlier that he was maltreated by the DSS. This kind of wild claim is akin to saying he provided logistics for the operations of the entire DSS establishment.

The self styled leader of IMN had made a lot of noise using his cronies alleging maltreatment of himself and the wife to the point that his safety was no longer guaranteed. At some point, he had asked the international community to hold the Federal Government responsible should any misfortune befall him. As one who claims to lead a religious group which is assumed to be a pius body, it is saddening that such spurious allegations would come out from the supposed mentor of many.

Claiming to have been maltreated all along in detention and coming out to say he was allowed to spend detention in luxury even while in detention from a government he desperately seeks to blackmail only amounts to speaking from two side of his mouth. This singular claim thus cast aspersions on any other claim that this self-styled cleric made about carrying bullets in his body and that of his wife.

Nigerians of good will must not allow persons with links with violent organisations to blackmail our security architecture in the guise of religion or criticism. As patriots, we find it expedient to speak out against this blatant lies been told about the nation’s state security service. Assuming without conceding that the Federal Government voted N4million monthly for the upkeep of the acclaimed cleric, it only shows how the government cared for him despite the atrocities he was been held for.

To set the records straight, from my personal knowledge of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA)the DSS operations are guided by (ACJA) where the rights of the suspect are upheld in addition to ensuring speedy dispensation of justice. It is indeed absurd that instead of showing gratitude to the judiciary and by extension the DSS, the Sheikh choose this inglorious path to dish out tissues of lies in an attempt to smear the image of the DSS and curry public sympathy for himself.

It is not right for an acclaimed servant of Allah to take to lying to his followers and the world to cover up for his wrong deeds. All known religious books admonishes believers to seek true repentance from their deeds and not lying to cover up their deeds as nothing can be hidden from the Almighty.
We advise this self styled cleric to discontinue this calculated bare faced lies against the DSS and save a pint of dignity for himself considering the charade his lies has already caused.

SOLOMON SEMAKA SOLOMON

CONVENER
SAVE NIGERIA MOVEMENT
DECEMBER 19,2021