Sokoto Crises: members sentenced to eight year imprisonment 28/5/08
Detained members of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria, who were detention for several months, were sentenced to eight-year jail term.
In a Judgment delivered in the early morning of Tuesday the 27th may 2008, by Muha-mmadu Mustapha Balle of the Upper Sharia Court I in Sokoto, Mallam kasimu Umar and 112 members, who have been languishing in prison custody since July last year, are sentenced to eight years imprisonment.
The charges include unlawful assembly while armed with deadly weapons, inciting the public, obstructing public servant from discharging his duties, constituting public nuisance, resisting arrest and insulting or exciting. However people say that these are baseless charges against the peaceful member of Islamic Movement in Sokoto who have been conducting their activities peacefully for over 20 years.
View Pictures of Sokoto Markaz during its Commissioning in 2003
Members of the Islamic Movement in Sokoto were arrested after the killing of one Umar Danmaishiyya by yet to be identified assassins, which many believed to be carried out by Government’s agents for his continuous attack on the government policies in the state.
However, No evidence could be established linking the killing of Danmaishiyya to peaceful members of the Islamic Movement, which made the court to drop murder charges early this year against the members. But, yet for unknown reasons, the Judge, after delay tactics, passed eight year imprisonment against members for charges mentioned above which were not proved beyond reasonable doubt as provided by the law.
Victims of Sokoto Crises
The members protest the court judgment and described it as open injustice.
Many are of the view that Alu Wammako, must have influenced the Judge in delivering the Judgements. All along, the Judges were accused of taking side with Government to achieve one thing or the other. People opined that in sentencing the members for eight years, Wammako wants to isolate members from public throughout his tenure.
Members of the Islamic Movement in Sokoto suffered series of persecution since killing of Umar Danmaishiyya, they were subjected to all forms of aggressions by the Sokoto state Government and instigated hoodlums. Morethan 4 members were killed.
This, apart from the destruction of landed properties belonging to Members of the Movement in the state.
Related news:Persecution of Muslim Brothers in Sokoto: Our StandPersecution of Muslim Brothers in Sokoto Continues.Sokoto Crises as Covered by Nigerian DailiesSokoto Crisis: 20 Women, 35 Children Missing.Two confirmed killed in Sokoto by Soldiers and Policemen
