FG flies Shi"te leader, El-Zakzaky abroad for treatment

By Vanguard Newspaper

Abuja—The embattled leader of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria, Sheikh Ibrahim El Zakzaky, was flown out of Nigeria for treatment of gun shot injuries he suffered during the encounter between his supporters and members of the Nigerian Army last year, multiple security sources told Vanguard in Abuja yesterday.

Picture of bleeding sheikh Zakzaky. Source: @ZahradeenAAhmad

It will be recalled that during the bloody encounter between the Shiites and the Nigerian Army, several members of the sect were killed, while many others sustained various degrees of injuries with some still on admission at Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, Shika near Zaria.

The fracas occurred when members of the sect allegedly blocked the Zaria-Sokoto road and prevented the convoy of the Chief of Army staff from passing through, despite several entreaties.

Sheikh El-Zakzaky allegedly sustained several gun shot wounds, with some reports claiming that one of his eyes was affected during the encounter.

Since the clash between the sect and the military, his whereabouts have been shrouded in secrecy until Vanguard exclusively revealed that he was moved from Kaduna to a safe house in Abuja belonging to one of the security services.

Several security sources who are knowledgeable in the matter, however, revealed to Vanguard yesterday that due to the seriousness of the injuries the Shiite leader sustained, he was secretly flown to France by the Nigerian government some weeks ago for treatment before being returned to the country two weeks ago.

One of the sources said: “It is true that the federal government flew him out of the country for treatment. He was stabilized before he was brought back to Nigeria. The government did not want to take chances by keeping him in the country. We did not want a repeat of the incidenct with the late leader of the Boko Haram movement whose death in custody exacerbated the crisis in the North East.”

Another source explained that the decision to fly El Zakzaky out of the country followed intervention by highly placed Nigerians, including the .former President, Olusegun Obasanjo, and the Sultan of Sokoto, Sa’ad Abubakar, who warned that allowing the Shiite leader to die in custody would have grave implications for the security of the country.

Spokesman of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria, Ibrahim Musa, confirmed to Vanguard that members of the NSCIA committee confirmed to the IMN that their leader was alive, after being treated for gun shot injuries in France and was recuperating in Abuja.

FG flies Shi"te leader, El-Zakzaky abroad for treatment

Tell Nigerians whereabouts of El-Zakzaky - Shi"ites tell FG

Bothered by his state of health, three weeks after his arrest and subsequent detention, members of the Islamic sect, Shi’ites, yesterday, asked the Federal Government to tell Nigerians the whereabouts of their leader, Sheikh Ibraheem El-Zakzaky and his wife.

Picture of bleeding sheikh Zakzaky. Source: @ZahradeenAAhmad

In a statement by the President of the Islamic Movement Media Forum (IMMF), Ibrahim Musa, the group said its members were anxious of the whereabouts of its leader.

He said: The condition and whereabouts of the Islamic Movement’s leader Sheikh Ibrahim El-Zakzaky as well as that of his wife, are still unknown, three weeks after their arrest and detention by the  security operatives.

“The Islamic Movement as well as the general public are now seriously anxious.

“Where is Sheikh Zakzaky and why has he been denied his constitutional rights to an attorney, bail and visitation?

“If the government is truly interested in finding a peaceful way out of this crisis the army initiated and executed, as the government wants the public to believe, it should by now have allowed an unimpeded access to Sheikh Zakzaky.

“First and foremost, his first family members and leading brothers of the Islamic Movement and his doctor should have met him by now, since he was shot by the soldiers when they attacked his residence.

Adding, he said: “We are highly agitated by this seeming needless incommunicado the Sheikh has been placed in.

“The Federal Government should tell the public where Sheikh Zakzaky is, because rumours of various degrees are flying about his health.

“We believe it is only when the Sheikh’s health condition is made public by the relevant authorities that the tension brewing among the populace will be doused.”

Tell Nigerians whereabouts of El-Zakzaky - Shi"ites tell FG

Ban El-Zakzaky’s sect, Zaria residents beg FG

Some residents of Zaria, Kaduna State, and neighbours of the leader of the Shi’ite sect, Sheik Ibraheem El-Zakzaky, yesterday launched a campaign to get the group banned.

Citing alleged hardship caused them by members of the sect over the last 20 years, the Zaria residents said they have had enough.

Picture of bleeding sheikh Zakzaky. Source: @ZahradeenAAhmad

Their spokesperson,  Alhaji Idris Mohammed Baba, told reporters in Kaduna that Shi’ite members routinely hold  people in Zaria and Sabon Gari local government areas of the state hostage  and tend to run  a parallel government in the country.

They claimed that last May, the sect declared 24 youths persona non grata for challenging their activities in Gyellesu community where Zakzaky resides.

According to him, “My experience with Shiite followers is disastrous and terrible. At a point Shi’ite boys threatened to kill me. We are happy over the military action against Shi’ites movement in Zaria because we have fresh air now blowing in our areas.”

He added, “As a community, we wrote letters to the government  about the  activities of Shi’ites but no single action was taken. We no longer report Shi’ites to police because they will never honour police or security invitation.

“These Shi’ites are an authority unto themselves; they don’t respect the authorities, the  security agencies and so on.

“We are Muslims but we discovered that   Shi’ites activities are contrary to Islam. They carry dangerous weapons and openly molest innocent people in our areas. Human rights groups should also look into our pains by the   sect members.”

Also speaking, another resident, Alhaji Saidu Garba, said  the activities of  the sect have crippled the once booming economy of the area.

He said: “After  El-Zakzaky was released from detention in 1999,he came and settled in Gyallesu. Since then there is no peace in our area. We thank Allah for touching the heart of government and the military for liberating us from Shi’ites untold hardship.”

Ban El-Zakzaky’s sect, Zaria residents beg FG

Our El-Zakzaky story, by the Army

In this interview, the spokesperson for the Nigeria Army, Colonel Sani Usman, explains the circumstances that led to the bloody confrontation between members of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria, IMN, led by Sheik Ibrahim El-Zakzaky, and the Nigeria Army, penultimate Saturday. Not the first of its kind, but the activities of the IMN and the handling of the matter by the army personnel have, this time, generated a lot of attention. Excerpts:

What is the update on the leader of the Shiite sect, El-Zakzaky, especially his whereabouts?

I can tell you that, contrary to the rumour that is going on, he is alive.

What exactly happened that Saturday that led to the clash and bloodbath?

One thing I want you to understand is that there  wasn’t any procession that day. What happened  was that quite a number of important activities were going on in the country on that day including the Chief of the Army Staff Annual Conference, in Dutse, Jigawa State.   The Emir of Dutse was also celebrating his 20th anniversary on the throne; so it became incumbent on the Chief of the Army Staff to wait behind and be part of the programme.   That same day, we were having the Passing Out Parade of the 73 Regular Recruits Intake in Zaria and then there was the graduation ceremony of the Kaduna State University.

Now, part of the tradition had been that whenever a very important dignitary is in Zaria, which is the headquarters of ZauZau Emirate, it is imperative for such a guest to pay a courtesy call on the Emir; so we were on our way from Dutse to Zaria, first and foremost to pay the courtesy call on the Emir of ZauZau, who had to cut short his   engagements in Kaduna where he had attended the convocation ceremony to be with us.

So when did the crisis begin?

Sometime around 2:30pm, along Sokoto Road, by the Railway Clinic, a group of youths started coming from the PZ end, close to the spiritual headquarters of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria.

What they did was to start encircling the convoy of the Chief of the Army Staff.   We came down, we pleaded with them and we wanted them to see reason but, before you could say Jack  Robinson, some of them had started throwing stones and you could hear loud bangs.

People who were responsible for the safety and security of the Chief of the Army Staff had to clear the way for the Chief of the Army  Staff.

They had made bonfires and there was stone-throwing all over the place and no  amount  of pleading could get them to see reason.

They made it clear that they had done it to several other people and that the Chief of the Army Staff was nobody and he could not pass through that road.

Remember again, there were series of arguments.   They alleged that some days ago, some security operatives went to a particular village and murdered their people.   Meanwhile, there was nothing like that.   What actually happened was that there was an altercation between the Islamic  movement and some other Islamic sect over the location or ownership of a mosque.   Then they changed the argument that they were having a funeral procession.

For goodness sake, there was’t any funeral procession and, of course, when the leader was giving an interview on the BBC Hausa Service, he said they were hoisting a flag.

Please,  which flag are you going to hoist at 2.30 in the afternoon?

And, in any case, in the Federal Republic of Nigeria, there is no flag that is more important than the National Flag.

I want to honestly tell you that all these things were premeditated, they were planned and, before you knew it, they  started  encircling.

And the advance party of the Chief of the Army Staff, some 15 minutes earlier, passed through the same place without any incident.

The arrival of the Chief of the Army Staff was well publicised and these people were aware that the convoy was that of the Chief of the Army Staff and they decided to ambush it.

Were these people armed?

Certainly they were armed

What sort of arms were they carrying?

The least were machete and catapult.

They also had petrol bombs and were always hiding behind trees

Had there been any issue between the authorities and the Shiite Islamic Movement in Nigeria before that day?

Many Nigerians and those who have had encounters with these people know that they have always constituted a nuisance. I would rather ask you to find out from those living in Zaria or those who traverse the road between Zaria, Kaduna and Kano; they will tell you of their agony, but I can tell you of a particular incident during one of their processions. There was a woman whose child was sick. Her  husband was in Abuja   and she wanted to get to the hospital but she was  stuck in one place for over five hours. Some time last year, a soldier was attacked with a machete on the head.   We have living witnesses. Even this recent one, the Chief of the Army Staff’s car was stoned and scratched.

Considering the ugly  situation which happened last year when the sect leader lost three of his sons, and now this,  don’t you think the situation could have been better managed?

Let me make this clear, the Nigeria Army does not have any problem with anybody or any group of persons.   We are against criminals and criminality and whoever is not ready to  operate within the ambit of the Nigerian law, something must be done about that. In any case, to be better handled by who?   The  perpetrators who made an attempt on the life of the Chief of the Army Staff or the Nigeria Army?

When you say assassination  attempt, was there  truly an assassination attempt?

What I want you to understand is that there is abundant evidence and there are witnesses to the circumstances that led to the events of Saturday. What I want you to know is that they were quite aware that the Chief of the Army Staff was passing and it was made abundantly clear to them that it was the Chief of the Army Staff and his entourage performing a legitimate official duty and they refused to budge.  Rather than reason, they started taking position as per military tactics on a federal road.

So, how did the military get to his home and started exchanging gun fire?

Like I told you earlier, that aspect is subject to inquiry and I  don’t want to discuss that.

The headquarters of  the Islamic Movement in Nigeria appears to have been levelled.   What would you say informed the decision of the Nigeria Army to take such a step?

What I want you to understand is that we are targeting criminals and criminality.   And whatever transpired is subject to inquiry and I  wouldn’t want to comment on that; I would urge that we await the report of the inquiry. Some people  have tried to insinuate that we were seeking vengeance, but there is nothing like that. Possibly, it is the Movement that would have said it has grouses against the Nigeria Army, but the Nigeria Army has never been against any individual or any group of individuals.

Why would they have a grouse against the Nigeria Army?   Has the Army offended them in any way?

Just as earlier said, like losing sons and earlier they were talking about the incident that happened in Zaria.

Let me tell you, when the present Chief of the Army Staff came on board, he requested for all the files, and he wanted to get to the bottom of the crisis that happened last year and ensure that justice is done.

People are worried because a mishandling of a similar thing in Borno led us to the crisis of Boko Haram?   So, why  didn’t the military take action knowing what it had known about the sect and not waiting until an alleged  attempt on the life of the Chief of the Army Staff?

I can understand their worries given the history of Boko Haram, but I can assure that the Nigeria Army and every reasonable Nigerian has learned lessons from that ugly incident and we don’t want that kind of thing to repeat itself and that is why it needed to be nipped in the bud. And unlike the previous instance when the law was circumscribed, the law is being followed diligently and I will implore  Nigerians to be patient.

 

*This interview was first aired on Channels Television last Tuesday.

Our El-Zakzaky story, by the Army