Please support the victims of police and army brutality in Nigeria. They are in urgent need of support.
DONATE here, and read more about some of the people already supported. More details on why you need to donate follow below.
Introduction:
Members of the Islamic Movement have been injured or arrested for simply peacefully protesting. Others have been killed, leaving behind families with little or no support. In this holly month of Ramadhan, please take some time to donate for those injured by the brutality of the Nigerian army and police, or support the loved ones left behind of those who were killed.
Funds raised will be used for:
- the families of those killed who are struggling to make ends meet. £70 a month can provide one family with food and support;
- medical treatment, including surgery for life-changing injuries such as bullets lodged in or near the spine; and medical equipment, e.g. wheelchairs and crutches. Equipment costs start at around £150. Operation costs can run into thousands of pounds.
May Allah swt reward your commitment and support. Please make dua for the oppressed, whoever they are and wherever they are. If you have social media accounts, please share below clip to help with this fundraising effort, and / or forward this alert.
Action required
- IHRC has been working on the persecution of the Islamic Movement since we started in 1997. Some of our founders were working on this issue for much longer. We are the only organisation authorised to collect money for this cause. Please visit the dedicated Nigeria fundraising campaign to donate: https://donations.ihrc.org.uk/Nigeria
- Write to the African Union and demand its intervention on denial of amnesty to Zakzakys amid the Covid-19 crisis. Forward any responses you receive to us on info@ihrc.org so we can develop this campaign further.
- Share this alert and the reports and resources, and encourage others to join this campaign.
Model email
If you are emailing, please use the following in the subject line:
Outrage over denial of amnesty to Zakzaky amid Covid-19 crisis
H.E. Moussa Faki Mahamat
Chair African Union Commission
PO Box 3243 Roosevelt Street (Old Airport Area) W21K19,
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Re: Denial of Amnesty for Sheikh Zakzaky Unacceptable
Dear H.E. Mousa Faki Mahamat,
I am writing to ask for your urgent intervention as Mallimah Zeenah was tested positive for Covid-19 in Kaduna state prison, where she was held along with her husband, Sheikh Ibrahim el-Zakzaky.
Overcrowding in Nigeria’s jails, which currently operate at over 150 per cent of capacity, has meant that the virus has spread rapidly within the prison population. Last summer, the country released 7,813 prisoners from its Correctional Service centres around the country to relieve pressure and help fight against the pandemic. Many of those released were freed under presidential pardons issued by Buhari. However, the President failed to act on a request by IHRC for the clemency to be extended to Zakzaky.
This is all the more unacceptable given that the couple has never been convicted of any crimes and are being held unlawfully in defiance of a 2017 court order for their immediate release. They have been arrested since 2015. The time they have spent in custody reinforces the view that the Nigerian authorities are conducting a witch-hunt against the couple and abusing the judicial system, hoping that they will die quietly in custody. Given Zakzaky’s age and underlying medical conditions, the infection places him at heightened risk of severe illness or death.
I urge your office to play an active role. If anything happens to the Sheikh or his wife, the Nigerian Government will be held directly responsible. Due to the situation’s seriousness and urgency, I demand that they are immediately released from prison.
[Your name]
African Union’s Contact Details:
Email: dic@africa-union.org
Postal Address: PO Box 3243 Roosevelt Street (Old Airport Area) W21K19 Ababa, Ethiopia
Tel: +251 11 551 7844
In the current circumstances, we do not advise sending letters by post.
