Stop IMN from publishing book, CSO urges Court

A civil society organisation, Centre for Social Justice, Equity and Transparency (CESJET), has prayed the Kaduna State High Court to stop the Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN) from publishing a book on its 2015 clash with the Nigerian Army.
CESJET’s legal adviser, Mr Edward Omaga, told journalists in Kaduna on Wednesday that the group had filed the suit to seek injunction against the plan by one Ibrahim Musa, a spokesperson to IMN, to publish the book.
Omaga said that if published the book would jeopardize the ongoing trial.
“We realised three days ago that the spokesperson of the organisation in the person of Mr Ibrahim Musa was planning to publish a book which he titled “December 2015 Massacre of Shiites in Nigeria: Survivors Account”.
“We do not know the exact date of publication but we heard it will be in a couple of days. It was first written in Hausa language but has been translated to English for publication.
“That book, from our investigation, is going to be a way of weeping sentiments and swaying sympathy in a way to the side of the terrorist group and convincing people that government is witch hunting the organisation.
“This is not true,” he said.
Omaga noted that CESJET was also praying the court to declare that IMN was truly proscribed and designated as a terrorist group by the Kaduna State government.
He said that the civil society urged the court to declare that it was not in the interest of public peace to allow such a book to be published.
He added that the organisation also prayed the court to quickly cause the Kaduna State Commissioner of Police to arrest Musa for attempting to drag Nigeria into a state of chaos.
“We are going to submit a letter to the chief of justice informing him about the happenings around the case and seek a quick date to enable us to get quick result before there is a step down of order.
“We are public interest mitigation persons who focus on justice, transparency and peace building; we are not influenced by government of the day,” he said. (NAN)