Police Raid “Nigerian Taliban” Group in Niger

By Jennifer M. Haralambides
Impunity Watch Reporter, Africa

KANO, Nigeria – Nigerian police take more than 600 people into custody after raiding an isolated Muslim community in Western Niger.

On Saturday morning a team of 1,000 officers raided the Darul Islam community.  Police say no weapons were found and there was no resistance to the arrests.

This raid comes in the wake of the violent uprising of the Boko Haram Islamist group that has taken the lives of hundreds of people.  Some sources say that the authorities may be taking advantage of a possible way to disperse the Darul Islam (House of Islam) community.

“Our action of evacuating members of the sect from Darul Islam is necessary to forestall any religious crisis in the (central) state of Niger,” said state police commissioner, Mike Zukoumor.

_46213086_nigeria_niger_1609.cmp Much of the recent bloodshed involving the Boko Haram has occurred in the Nigerian city of Maiduguri and the officials have taken action.  One of the men taken away by the police told sources that local people were being taken away and questioned.

“We have not eaten anything since we were brought here and we have women and children among us,” said a Darul Islam resident.

Zukoumor said that those who are suspected of being involved in the self named “Nigerian Taliban” group are being kept in a government technical college and questioned about their activities.  The suspects could face prosecution if their activities are found to be detrimental to religious peace in the state.

Although the group has not been found to be engaged in any illegal activity just yet, the authorities are trying to establish the identity and nationality of the members of the Darul Islam community.

The United Nations human rights chief, Navi Pillay, and human rights groups like Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have called on the government to investigate the security forces’ role in this religious violence.

For more information, please see:

AFP – Nigerian Police Raid Islamic Sect Compound – 16 August 2009

BBC – Nigeria Police Raid Muslim Sect – 16 August 2009

Newstime Africa – Police in Nigeria Target Another Muslim Sect – 16 August 2009

Reuters – Nigerian Police Raid Islamic Sect, Detain Hundreds – 16 August 2009

Author: Impunity Watch Archive