Yahaya stressed, “We understand the government, it is the government that doesn’t understand us. If they seek our hands of friendship, we are ever ready.
“We are a peace-loving people. And we have no country other than Nigeria, so we won’t allow anybody to use us to destabilise the peace of the country.”
The IMN leader said the movement was not fighting the government because they understood the government but it was the government who was fighting and attacking the group because it did not understand their religion.
“Our religion permits us to rally during the observation of our various occasional events, so if they agree that we have a religion, they should allow us to practise our religion the way we understand it.
“If there is a law or verse from the Holy books that prohibits our activities, they should prove it to us,” he said.
Yahaya further stated that at the last Ashura procession by the movement, over 30 of their members were arrested and they secured their bail while some were still in court.
He said, “Seventeen of our members were killed across the country, six in Bauchi, two in Katsina and so on. Our women have turned to widows and the children are now orphans.”
