The Save Nigeria Movement has dismissed the recent comments by the leader of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria, Sheikh Ibraheem El-Zakzaky, who claimed that the Department of State Security, DSS diverted N4million monthly meant for his upkeep while in detention.
El-Zakzaky who made the comment during an interview with a national newspaper (not Vanguard), also claimed he was responsible for his feeding and other logistics during his time at the DSS custody.
In a statement sent to journalists on Sunday, December 19 and signed by its convener, Solomon Semaka, the Save Nigeria Movement stated that:
“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.”
The statement continued: “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 sides 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 goodwill must not allow persons with links with violent organisations to blackmail our security architecture in the guise of religion or criticism.”
The group stated that the government voted N4million monthly for the upkeep of the cleric, it only shows how the Nigerian authorities cared for him despite the allegations against him.
Semaka added:
“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.”
He further said that Sheikh El-Zakzaky ought to show gratitude to the judiciary and by extension the DSS, instead of “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.”
