“The person says there is a plan to use hoodlums or Boko Haram to kill the Sheik; that it may be when they are on their way to court or the hospital," their Spokesman stated.
Members of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN) have raised the alarm on a fresh plot to assassinate their spiritual leader, Ibrahim El-Zakzaky and his wife.
The group made the revelation in Abuja on Tuesday, during a peaceful protest at the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC).
Addressing the crowd on behalf of the group, Abdullahi Muhammadu Musa stated that the group received a report from unidentified persons on August 8, 2018, who exposed an alleged plan to use hoodlums to assassinate El-Zakzaky.
He noted that the information was circulated in many places in Abuja and the internet, adding that the group would not treat the information with levity.
"On Wednesday August 8, 2018 a piece of note was circulated in many places in Abuja and on the internet by yet-to-be-identified persons, who exposed another plan by the state for the assassination of Sheik Ibraheem El-Zakzaky," he stated.
He alleged that the plan was to arrange for some hoodlums to open fire on El-Zakzaky’s vehicle whenever he is being conveyed to the court or the hospital and kill him alongside the security operatives.
“There are some group of people, who want to kill him and we have come here to lodge a complaint to that effect. The main issue now is that on Wednesday, August 8, some unknown people distributed an anonymous release here in Abuja that contained some issues that made us come here to complain, because there has been no response from the government.
“The person says there is a plan to use hoodlums or Boko Haram to kill the Sheik; that it may be when they are on their way to court or the hospital. He said it may be some people that would attack them and kill him, his wife and even the security forces that accompany him," Musa stated.
According to him, that was the information available at their disposal and they wanted the Human Rights Commission to intervene and notify the government.
Responding on behalf of the Commission, Lambert Oparah, Director of Corporate Affairs and External Linkages of the Commission, said the commission is very much involved and is monitoring the court process, adding that El-Zakzaky had not been abandoned.
He said: "The National Human Rights Institution is very much involved with these complaints. We are also monitoring the process in the law court. So, we have not left you alone or the Sheik, your leader in the court, because the complaint is already before us. We are monitoring the court proceedings.
“You are aware that there is a new Director General of the Department for State Services (DSS) and he also issued a statement to the effect that he is going to review some of the cases of detentions, and he is going to ensure that the human rights of those detainees are guaranteed.
“The fourth one is something we need to investigate and find out if it is true or not. It’s just something you heard; you said someone published and gave you the information. I don't think we should always rely on information you get either somewhere from your friends. Rather, we should be accurate and factual; that is the valid complaint for us to treat.”