The Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN) has publicly criticized President Bola Tinubu's administration over escalating insecurity and what it termed as "bad governance" across the country. The group made its stance known during a press briefing marking the global 10-day Ashura commemoration held in Jos, Plateau State.
IMN Demands Rescue of Abducted Schoolchildren
Sheikh Muhammad Auwal Gangare, the group's representative in Plateau State, led the briefing and condemned the "relentless, organized kidnapping of innocent school children across Nigeria." He cited recent mass abductions in Oyo State, where pupils as young as toddlers and their teachers were taken into forests.
"The most agonizing manifestation of this failure is the relentless, organized kidnapping of innocent school children across Nigeria. From the recent devastating mass abductions in Oyo State, where pupils as young as toddlers and their teachers were dragged into forests, to the ongoing nightmare in the communities of the North-West and North-East, our educational institutions have become processing centers for terrorism and ransom," Sheikh Auwal stated.
High Cost of Living and Insecurity
The IMN also highlighted the high cost of living as the most pressing problem for ordinary Nigerians, describing it as a key symptom of the administration's failure. The group demanded that the federal government and state authorities deploy every available resource to rescue all schoolchildren and teachers still held in terrorist camps across Oyo, Zamfara, Borno, and other states.
Call for Comprehensive Reform
Speaking on the broader meaning of the Ashura commemoration, Sheikh Auwal described it as "a living, breathing manifesto for human dignity," calling for what he termed "Islah" – the total reform of governance, restoration of justice, and refusal to submit to corrupt leadership. The group urged the Tinubu administration to pursue comprehensive socioeconomic reform for the benefit of all Nigerians.
