The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr Garba Shehu, said this in an interview with one of our correspondents.
Asked how and when the Federal Government intended to implement the court order, Shehu said, “We have confirmation that a judge has given the proscription order in line with a request by the Federal Ministry of Justice.
“The Federal Government sought the order in view of the responsibility imposed on it by the constitution, making the protection of lives and property as the number one duty of a government.
“Under the law, the exercise of the individual right is limited by the collective rights of the entire society.”
He added, “By this order, the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria are justified to take whatever steps are necessary to stop the growing violence.
“However, the larger body of the followers of the Shiite faith who remain law-abiding in their activities have nothing to fear. They are free to carry out their lawful religious activity.”
Shehu stressed that only the IMN, and not all Shiite groups, was proscribed based on the court order.
“The only thing I want to add is that it is not all Shiite groups that are affected by the proscription order,” the presidential spokesperson said.