The proscription order by the Federal High Court, Abuja, against the Islamic Movement in Nigeria, IMN, otherwise referred to as Shi’ite is to be gazetted by the Federal Government on Monday.
The gazetting is part of the implementation of the order issued by the court on Friday.
It will be carried out in Lagos by the Federal Government’s Printing Press, which publishes the Official Gazette.
IMN was declared a terrorist group and its activities illegal by the court headed by Justice Nkeoye Maha.
The declaration followed an application to that effect by the Federal Government.
It would be recalled that protests carried out by members of the Shi’ite group over the continued detention of their leaders, Ibrahim El-Zakzaky, by the government had led to deaths.
The latest of such deaths were those of the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of Operations, Federal Capital Territory Command, Usman Umar, and a Channels Television reporter, Precious Owolabi, during a clash between the police and the group in Abuja during the week.
In its application for the declaration of Shi’ite as a terrorist group and its proscription filed on Thursday, the government said the action became necessary in view of the violent protests carried out in the country by members of the group.
Granting the request made by the government, the court stated that the activities of the group had become acts of terrorism and illegality.
The court declared: “An order of this honourable court proscribing the existence and activities of the respondent (Islamic Movement in Nigeria) in any part of Nigeria, under whatever form or guise either in groups or as individuals by whatever names they are called.
“An order restraining any person or group of persons from participating in any manner whatsoever in any form of activities involving or concerning the prosecution of the collective intention or otherwise of the respondent (Islamic Movement in Nigeria) under any other name or platform howsoever called or described in any part of Nigeria.
“An order directing the applicant (the AGF) to publish the order proscribing the respondent (Islamic Movement in Nigeria) in the official gazette and two national dailies.”
