Shi’ites’ Massacre: Commission indicts Army

The Nigerian Army has been indicted by the Judicial Commission of Inquiry set up by Ka­duna State Government on the violent clashes between members of the Shi’ite Is­lamic Movement in Zaria, between December 12 and 14, 2015.
The report, which was re­leased on July 31, 2016 by the state government, found that 349 members of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN) were killed during the clash.
While the Commission criticised the IMN for what it called “widespread and habitual acts of lawlessness and defiance of constituted authorities across the nation”, it condemned the army’s re­sponse as excessive. Soldiers, it said shot their way through the blockade set up by IMN members along the road to the group’s Hussainniya Baq­iyyatullah mosque complex, killing seven IMN members and injuring 11.

At least, 342 IMN mem­bers were killed during vio­lent clashes that followed the deployment of soldiers to other IMN sites in Kaduna over the course of the next three days. A soldier, Cor­poral Dan Kaduna Yakubu, was also killed during those clashes.
According to agency re­port, contrary to the Army’s claims, the report stated that no large cache of arms was found at any the five prop­erties belonging to the IMN and its leader Sheik Ibrahim El Zakzaky. It said that what was found were bows and arrows, catapults, sticks, and a few dane guns for local hunting.
The Commission rec­ommended that members of the military involved in unlawful killings and IMN members who participated in the soldier’s death should be brought to trial.
So far, only IMN mem­bers have been arrested and prosecuted for causing the killing of Corporal Yaku­bu during the December events. The group’s leader, Sheik El Zakzaky and his wife Zeenat were arrested on December 14, 2015, and are still being held in what the secret police describe as ‘protective custody’ in Abuja.
“Political and military authorities in Nigeria should heed the Commis­sion’s recommendations and take immediate steps to hold those responsible for the illegal use of lethal force to account and to pay compensation to the victims.
“The authorities should release El Zakzaky and Zeenat from detention or bring credible charges against the couple in a properly constituted court”, the report stated.