El-Zakzaky alleges govt complicity, foreign involvement in Nigeria’s insecurity

Leader of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN), Sheikh Ibraheem El-Zakzaky, has accused both the Nigerian government and foreign powers of fuelling the country’s worsening insecurity, insisting that the crisis is not accidental but “deliberately orchestrated.”

Speaking on Wednesday at a press conference ahead of events marking the anniversary of the 2015 Zaria massacre, the IMN leader questioned how bandits operating deep in forests have come into possession of sophisticated weapons, armoured vehicles and fuel tankers.

“How come those people who are known to be cattle raiders have guns?” he asked. “How come bandits have armoured vehicles and tankers inside the bushes? Where did they get them?”

A clip of the briefing shared by TV Platinum on X showed El-Zakzaky alleging that security agencies are aware of the supply networks behind these weapons but have done nothing.

“You have to know that the authorities are behind this insecurity,” he said. “If they want to stop it today, they can stop it.”

Claims the US created Boko Haram, ISWAP, ISIS

In a second widely circulated video, the Shi’ite leader expanded his accusations, stating that the United States played a direct role in the rise of extremist groups in Nigeria and across Africa.

“US created Boko Haram, US is funding Boko Haram,” he alleged. “US created ISWAP, they created ISIS, and they confessed it. They said they would use terrorism to conquer Africa.”

El-Zakzaky argued that terrorism persists because foreign actors seek to exploit Nigeria’s mineral-rich regions. “You will see them where there is gold, oil, gas – everywhere there are resources,” he said.

“Politicians in power engineered insecurity”

El-Zakzaky maintained that insecurity persists because Nigerian politicians benefit from the situation.

“The insecurity problem in Nigeria was created by politicians in power,” he said. “If they want to stop it today, they would. They are the ones who engineered it.”

He further accused the government of worsening the crisis by engaging with “perpetrators,” which he said only emboldens criminal groups.

Revisits Zaria massacre, points fingers at Buhari

Turning to the 2015 Zaria massacre, the IMN leader accused former President Muhammadu Buhari of refusing to act on the findings of the state judicial commission submitted in 2016.

The incident began when IMN members blocked the convoy of the then Chief of Army Staff, Lt-Gen. Tukur Buratai, during a procession in Zaria. The military claimed there was an assassination attempt; the IMN denied this. The standoff escalated into a full-scale operation in which hundreds of IMN members were killed.

Human Rights Watch estimated around 300 civilian deaths, while a state-backed judicial commission put the figure above 1,000. The military disputed both numbers.

El-Zakzaky and his wife were arrested during the operation and remained in detention until July 2021 when a Kaduna High Court discharged and acquitted them.

“Nothing has been done,” he said. “They do not even acknowledge that anything happened.”

He recalled receiving a call from a minister while bleeding heavily after being shot: “I said I was waiting for my blood to drain so that I would pass. Tell General Buhari I am greeting him. We will meet on the Day of Judgement.”

Says current government also silent

The cleric said the current administration had privately pledged to revisit the massacre but has not acted since assuming office.

“They ought to address it. We don’t have to demand. They ought to address it,” he insisted.