Henceforth any protester arrested in connection with the proscribed Islamic Movement in Nigeria, IMN, would be prosecuted under the “Terrorism Act.’’

This became imperative following a court order obtained by Federal Government proscribing the IMN after it branded it as a terrorist organisation.

According to Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, who made this known at a conference organised by the Force Headquarters for senior police officers, the conference was organised to review the activities of the banned organisation and other security challenges in order to emplace appropriate measures to address them.

Adamu said increasing engagement of terror tactics, violent and subversive activities of IMN contravened the Terrorism Prevention Act 2013, as amended.

According to him, with the judicial pronouncement of the Federal High Court in Abuja, the Federal Government has classified them as a terrorist group and accordingly proscribed the El-Zakzaky-led IMN.

He said henceforth, any person engaged or associating, in any manner that could advance the activities of the proscribed Islamic Movement in Nigeria, shall be treated as a terrorist, saying such person would be treated as an enemy of the State, a subversive element and shall be brought to justice within the context of the Terrorism Act.

Adamu said the police and other security agencies were fully committed to giving full effect to the judicial pronouncement in the interest of internal security and national cohesion.

He solicited for the support of the public in the provision of information that would help in identifying locations of IMN members and their mentors, saying for purpose of clarification, Nigeria was a secular State with constitution provisions guaranteeing the freedom to practice our faiths.

The Police Chief said the constitutional provision must be exercised in a manner that would guarantee national security, saying all adherents of the Shiite Sect in Nigeria remained free to continue to practice their faith and shall be guaranteed adequate security to so do as the judicial order does not stop them.

He said the El-Zakzaky-led Shiite Islamic Movement in Nigeria which does not recognise nor accept the Constitution and Government of the Federation was the sole organisation that had been classified as a terrorist organisation and proscribed.