The Kaduna State Government has officially labelled the Shiite Islamic Movement of Nigeria, IMN, an insurgent group in a white Paper released by the state government on Monday in Kaduna.

According to ceoafrica, the government also said the detained Shiite leader, Ibraheem El-Zakzaky, would be held responsible for all acts carried out by the group’s members.

The white paper stated that “for all intent and purpose, the IMN is an insurgent group and ought to be treated as such.”

“Members of the IMN owe absolute loyalty to Sheikh Ibraheem El-Zakzaky,” “he therefore bears responsibility for all the acts of lawlessness committed by the organisation and should therefore be held responsible, fully investigated and prosecuted.”

In the white paper, the state government also indicated it may not prosecute the soldiers involved in the killing of over 300 members of the IMN in December last year, but might leave their prosecution to the federal government.