We have no hand in policeman’s death – IMN

The Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN) has denied involvement in the killing of a police officer in Kaduna on Thursday.

A policeman was stabbed to death in the course of a protest by the IMN members.

One of the leaders of the IMN, Prof. Abdullahi Danladi, while addressing a press conference in Kaduna, yesterday, said the allegation that IMN is responsible, is geared towards smearing the image of the organization and its members.

He said, “the reported killing of the policeman was a handiwork of some desperate people out to give a dog a bad name in order to hang it,” he said.

Danladi said the Islamic Movement strongly distances itself from the murder of the policeman.

“It was most certainly not by members of the Islamic Movement. Throughout our four decades of existence, the Islamic movement in Nigeria under Sheikh Zakzaky’s leadership has never resorted to violence even in the midst series of persecution of its members across the country. Why would anyone kill a policeman who is also a victim of bad governance?

“As thugs were callously and unjustifiably killing a policeman, the police were sporadically shooting at members of the Islamic Movement with live ammunition as they scampered for cover. What time did they have to kill another soul? “

He said since December 2015, on the streets of Kaduna alone, the IMN has lost 23 members and at least five, this year alone.

“What have we done in response other than resort to courts, seeking the enforcement of our rights to peacefully protest,” he asked.