The Al-Mizan newspaper, alleged to be owned by the Islamic Movement in Nigeria, has denounced its deregistration by the Kaduna State chapter of the Nigeria Union of Journalists.
In a statement by the Assistant Secretary of the chapel, Mukhtar Zailani, Al-Mizan said it is a privately owned newspaper registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission and not in any way linked to the IMN, also popularly known as the Shiite sect.
The newspaper also said the Kaduna State chapter if the NUJ that issued the statement deregistering it does not have the authority to do so as it has been dissolved.
It said it is like any other newspaper published in local languages “and not a religious newspaper and does not belong to any Shi’ite organization as wrongly depicted by the dissolved EXCO”.
The statement added: “More so, the Al-Mizan chapel is one of the 13 chapels of the Nigerian Union of Journalists Kaduna Council under which are several other Hausa newspapers that include Al-Mizan Newspaper, Gamji Newspaper, Dillaliya Newspaper, Kunnen Gari Newspaper, Dimokuradiyya Newspaper and Pointer Express which was duly registered with the Union after satisfying all the requirements.
“It is overwhelming to hear a dissolved EXCO engaging in illegality and declaring the deregistration of the Al-Mizan newspaper and the chapel.
“We wish to call on all and sundry to disregard the illegal deregistration announced by the desperate dissolved EXCO. We reiterate our commitment and support to the Interim Committee led by Austine Anyebe.”
