Hawzah News Agency - The UN special rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions condemned  the Abuja’s crackdown on the Islamic Movement in Nigeria.

Agnes Callamard said the move to ban the group appeared be based on what the authorities thought IMN could become rather than its actions. She said she had not been presented with any evidence to suggest the group was weaponized and posed a threat to the country.

She made the remarks in a news conference in the capital, Abuja, where she presented her preliminary

findings following a 12-day visit to the country.

Nigeria’s military attacked the movement’s members that year as they were holding religious processions, with Abuja that the Muslims had blocked a convoy of the country’s army commander. The movement has categorically rejected the allegation, and said the convoy had intentionally crossed paths with the IMN’s members to whip up an excuse for attacking them.

The military also raided the house of Sheikh Ibrahim al-Zakzaki, the movement’s leader, at the time.

During the escalation, the 66-year-old was beaten and lost his left eye. His wife sustained serious wounds, and three of his sons and more than 300 of his followers were killed.

Callamard further said Nigeria’s multiple security problems have created a crisis that requires urgent attention and could lead to instability in other African countries if it is not addressed.