Much as some sections of Nigerians are clamouring for the release of Sheik Ibrahim El-Zak Zakky from detention pleading that he has secured an order to the effect in an Abuja Federal High court, I want to align myself with the position of the Federal Government of Nigeria which has appealed the order and continued to hold him in custody.
El-Zak Zakky has continued to conduct his religious activities right from his undergraduate days in ABU Zaria to the detriment of peace and order of his environment – a situation that caused the university authorities to deny him his Bachelor degree in Economics, and he subsequently traveled to the Islamic Republic of Iran where he became a Sheik before returning to the country.
On return he established his base in Zaria and proceeded to recruiting disciples and some unemployed youths who found solace in the blissful hereafter that the adherents of the faith are promised over the worldly poverty they are currently facing.
To gain a seat in that blissful hereafter flight, the Sheik promised these adherents, there are two jihad ,worldly obligations, they must fulfill thus; They must make sure the Islamic legal system, Sharia, is implemented in Nigeria. Remember the former Gov. of Zamfara state is a member of this moment.
Secondly, Islamic Revolution similar to the one in Iran where this Sheik was trained must happen in Nigeria. (Read about Islamic Revolution in Iran).
To achieve this in Nigeria the Sheik started raising an Islamic Revolutionary Army within the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and in the open. His army did ‘parade’, he inspected Guard of Honours mounted by this army of his. No wonder his army could stop the convoy of the Chief of Army Staff of the Federal Republic of Nigeria from passing through certain areas the Islamic Revolution Army felt were their territories within the City of Zaria. An incident the Nigeria Army confronted that led to his arrest and subsequent detention.
His camp has started operating sharia laws outside the law of Nigeria, the camp has a separate police force and it only follows that the camp has separate court system.
This keeps me wondering why President Muhammadu Buhari is not enjoying the support of those who nurse the fear of Islamizing Nigeria.
Suffocatingly, Â the large chunk of those clamouring for his release are ironically the same people alleging Buhari of Islamizing Nigeria !
Sheik El-Zak Zakky gained this monstrous social status over decades, until Buhari attempted to curtail these excesses in the last two years.
Political watchers would have adjudged Buhari a poor strategist when fighting a popular Sheik with a few millions of voting sympathizers when his reelection bid was being challenged by a political gladiator like Atiku Abubakar.
Nigerians as complex as we are must endeavor to place national interest far above political considerations.
Dr (Hon) Wale Okediran, a medical practitioner, a former member of the House of Representatives and a columnist sent this in from Iseyin.
