About 1,500 armed policemen stormed the 16-year-old puritan Darul- Islam community living in Mokwa, 100 kilometres from Minna, the Niger State capital evacuating over 4,000 men, women and children.
The ‘special assignment' was carried out by policemen drafted from the Force Headquarters in Abuja. They were closely assisted by men of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) who were there to collate data of members of the community with the aim of ascertaining their nationalities.
The 4,000 members of the community were taken to Government Teachers' College, Mokwa for identification, after which they will be transported to their states of origin.
The community, according to its leader, Malam Bashir Abdullahi Sulaiman, in an interview with Sunday Trust, was established some 16 years ago in order for the sect members to live and practice pure Islamic religion without mingling with corrupt and sinful world.
The community was brought to limelight after the eruption of Boko Haram crisis in Northern part of the country, a crisis which claimed hundreds of lives.
Subsequently, the Niger State government wrote to the Federal Government, requesting an order to sack the community despite the community's disassociation from Boko Haram and other violent activities.
Yesterday's sacking of the community was a confirmation of presidency's approval to the Niger State government. The Niger State Commissioner of Police, Mr Mike Zuokumour, said the action was necessary to forestall any form of religious upheaval in the state.
The police boss disclosed that no weapon was found on the sect members when a house-to-house search was conducted by security agents. He explained also that the police had to expedite action following complaints by members of the community in Mokwa.
While describing the operation as peaceful, the police commissioner said the sect members showed no sign of resistance as they obliged them by cooperating with his men all through the search and evacuation exercise.
"The operation was peaceful. We have evacuated over 600 persons and more are still on their way from the place, and we did not encounter any form of casualty, as the operation went on successfully.
When Sunday Trust demanded to know what becomes of the people of Darul- Islam, the commissioner of police hinted that after interrogation, necessary action will be enforced, saying they may be tried for violating the preaching act of Niger State as their mode of worship contradicted that of the state.
He said their mode of worship, which had, over time, raised issues of concern among the people living in Mokwa, was enough to spark off crisis, adding that the people were not comfortable with other alleged practices of the sect members.
He said they were accused of "wife swapping, restricting movements of members and forceful abduction of people to their community, against the wishes of their victims.
Speaking with this reporter, Malam Bashir Abdullahi said they were Muslims like any other in the world. He added that they were only practising their faith in accordance with the teachings of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).
He expressed surprise in the action of government, saying it amounted to a violation of their rights of association and freedom of worship as enshrined in the Nigerian constitution. He said they had lived peacefully with their neighbours, adding that they had no case with or against anybody in or outside the community.
The leader explained that the reason for isolating themselves from other people was to enable them practise their faith in the most discreet form as possible, saying that the world was full of people with all forms of sins and they were not prepared to mix with them.
"Government surprised us by jumping on us like common thieves, violating our fundamental human rights and, at the end, they couldn't find anything incriminating on us," he said.
Source: anwar-alawlaki.com
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