Sheikh Mohammed Yakoob, a brother to the leader of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN), Sheikh Ibrahim El-Zakzaky, said he used to be a Sunni Muslim until Iran lured him into becoming a Shiite.
Yakoob, who spoke during an interview with The Punch, said, at a time he left their home in Kano for Katsina to further his education, El-Zakzaky started corresponding with Iran.
“He was not a Shiite member at the time. But after he acquired a degree from the Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, he started assembling students to propagate Islam, like a preacher. He got the idea from Iran and subsequently, he started amassing money,” he said
“Iran invited him to their country to join them (become a Shiite), and they financed him. Originally, El-Zakzaky was Sunni but Iran lured him into becoming a Shiite.”
“El-Zakzaky became a Shiite after visiting Iran, following their promise to appoint him as their Shiite ambassador in Nigeria. He changed, particularly because of money as Iran was financing him.”
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On the public perception that Sunni Muslims connive with the Presidency to persecute Shiites, Yakoob sai “Previously, there were no Shiites in Nigeria. El-Zakzaky imported Shiite into Nigeria, via his ties with Iran but the majority of Nigerians is Sunnis. It’s only people in the villages, where ignorance persists, that embrace Shiite movement because they do not know what Islam is all about. If you abuse Abubakar, you abuse Aisha, you abuse Hafsat, and you’ve abused the Prophet, which is the stock in trade of the Shiites.”
He also supported the decision of the Federal Government to keep El-Zakzaky in custody despite court orders mandating his release.
“El-Zakzaky has no right because he was the one who attacked Buratai’s convoy. Nobody can attack the government and gets away scot-free,” he added.