The federal government of Nigeria has yesterday declared the Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN) popularly known as Shiite a terrorist organisation and stand proscribed. The proscription was declared by a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja after considering the recent activities of the group amounting to protest and confrontation with security forces in recent time; the court said the IMN poses a great security threat to the corporate existence of Nigeria.
Daily Trust reported that Nkeonye Maha, the judge of the high court declared in her ruling that, any activity committed either directly or by a third party that is related to the Shiite organisation in any part of Nigeria is hereby declared illegal and shall be regarded as terrorist activity.
The court henceforth restrained any person or group of persons from participating in any form of activities involving or concerning the IMN under any name or platform in Nigeria.
To formalise the proscription of the group and the process complete, the court has ordered the Attorney-General of the Federation “to publish the order proscribing the respondent (Islamic Movement in Nigeria) in the official gazette and two national dailies.”
The judge gave the order in respect of an ex parte application by the Federal Government. A copy of the ex parte application marked FHC/ABJ/CS/876/2019 filed in the name of the ‘Attorney-General of the Federation.’
Justice Maha granted all the four prayers contained in the application shortly after, Mr. Dayo Apata, the Solicitor-General of the Federation and Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Justice, argued for the application.
Meanwhile, the IMN was the solitary respondent to the application but the group was not represented by any lawyer since it was an ex parte hearing.