The Police in Niger State on Saturday carried out an early morning raid on the enclave of a radical Islamic sect, Darusalam and in the process arrested 3,500 members of the group, majority of whom were women and children.

About 1,500 heavily armed mobile and conventional policemen with another 100 operatives of the immigration and prisons services carried out the operation at about 6 a.m.

Sunday Tribune learnt that the sect which had been resident at Darusalam for the past 17 years had become a serious security threat to their neighbours and other members of the public, coupled with the recent activities of the Boko Haram sect and this necessitated the assault on the community.

The leader of the group, 48-year-old Bashir Abdullahi was also arrested along with members of the sect and he assisted in separating the women from the men as they were conveyed from Darusalam village near Bokani on the Mokwa-Kontagora road to Government Technical College, Mokwa where the police are presently camping them.

Sunday Tribune learnt that the sect members could not resist arrest partly because they were in the mosque for the early morning prayers when the police arrived and surrounded their village and as a result of the surprise nature of the operation.

State Police Commissioner, Mr Michael Zuomoukor told Sunday Tribune that the operation was peaceful and successful, adding that no life was lost on both sides, neither was anybody injured.

Mr Zuomoukor added that no offensive weapon had so far been recovered from the sect members but said investigation was still ongoing.

He stated that the combined team of policemen and men of the immigration service would screen those arrested, after which they would be sent to their countries or states of origin, adding that preliminary investigation had shown that some of those arrested were from Niger and Ghana.

According to the police boss the action of the force was to ensure that the peace of the area and the country was maintained all the time, adding that the practice of the sect members was anti-Islam.

However, the sect leader, Bashir Abdullahi denied that his group was a threat to anybody, saying that since they had been in the area they had lived peacefully with their neighbours and respected the laws of the land.

Abdullahi described the assault on members of his group as not only against their fundamental human rights but an abuse of their personal liberties.

The Chairman of Mokwa Local Government Area, Alhaji Mohammed Adama Lwafu who was on hand to receive the sect members said that the group had violated all known Islamic laws by their behaviour, adding that they were also not relating with anybody.

http://www.tribune.com.ng/16082009/news/news3.html

This onslaught against the Darul Islam group, which has shown no inclination for violence is totally uncalled for, and might prove counterproductive by unnecessarily antagonizing law-abiding peaceful Muslims.

Nafata:

This onslaught against the Darul Islam group, which has shown no inclination for violence is totally uncalled for, and might prove counterproductive by unnecessarily antagonizing law-abiding peaceful Muslims.

Boko Haram once upon a time showed no inclination fo violence, we negleted them untill a police station was attacked. we should not be doing that.

I think these sects and platforms are normally used as a rallying point to get people to attack their countrymen over issues that don't concern Nigeria. When Prophet Mohamed is cartooned in Denmark or Israel and Palestinains begin their war, and then these issues result to attacks on non-muslims living in the North.

You think they are totally spontaneous? NO, they are not.

Sects like these are where these babarisms are planned and hatched.

Boko Haram once upon a time showed no inclination for violence, we neglected them untill a police station was attacked. we should not be doing that.
- Mikeansy

So we might as well do away with all peaceful Muslims since they are all potential terrorists that can suddenly turn violent.
Or better still, lock them all up in our own Guantanamo as "enemy combatants".
One of the uninhabited Niger Delta islands would do just fine for the Nigerian Gitmo.