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

Soldiers killed 300 Shi’ites, says Human Rights Watch

The Human Rights Watch on Wednesday stated that hundreds of Shi’ite Muslims were killed by soldiers and buried in mass graves in an “unjustified” attack earlier this month.

Picture of bleeding sheikh Zakzaky. Source: @ZahradeenAAhmad

The New York-based rights watchdog claimed in a statement that soldiers killed “at least 300” members of the radical Islamic Movement of Nigeria earlier in December when they fired “without any provocation.”

It claimed that witnesses said that the soldiers disposed of hundreds of bodies by throwing them in mass graves, making it difficult for the organisation to establish an accurate death toll.

The violence erupted on December 12 when members of the Shi’ite group erected a makeshift roadblock during a religious procession, blocking the path of a Nigerian army chief.

“It is almost impossible to see how a roadblock by angry young men could justify the killings of hundreds of people,” Africa director at HRW, Daniel Bekele, said.

“At best it was a brutal overreaction and at worst it was a planned attack on the minority Shi’ite group,” he added.

The Nigerian army, which has not released an official death toll, denied HRW’s charges.

“The allegations are not true,” said Nigerian army spokesperson, Sani Usman, to AFP.

“It is therefore presumptuous and clearly out of context for anyone to make such an unsubstantiated allegations or comments.

“The incident between the Nigerian army and the Islamic Movement of Nigeria has been reported to the appropriate agencies who are investigating the issue,” Usman said.

Last week, the Federal Government set up a judicial commission to investigate the deaths.

The Nigerian army had accused the Iran-backed sect of “a deliberate attempt to assassinate” the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai, releasing footage of the crowd hurling stones at his military convoy.

The allegations come amid fears that the violent clashes between the Shi’ite group and army will unleash a new Islamic threat on a country still battling Boko Haram militants.

IMN leader Ibrahim Zakzaky, the charismatic founder of the group, was seriously wounded and remains in police custody, while his deputy was killed in the army crackdown.

Soldiers killed 300 Shi’ites, says Human Rights Watch

Shia protesters storm Kano street over El-Zakkazy arrest

Hundreds of Islamic Movement in Nigeria, popularly known as Shiites, on Monday protested against the arrest of their leader, Ibrahim El-Zakzaky.

The Shiite Muslims trooped out to the streets of Kano after converging at Fagge mosque and protested through Ibrahim Taiyo road,  Radio Kano by Obasanjo bridge and IBB way.

The Shiites comprised men,  young children and women holding different placards with various inscription calling for the immediate release of their leader, Sheikh Ibrahim Zakzaky.

Leader of the protesting Shiite in Kano, Mallam Sani Malfa addressed the crowds at Kofar Mata after  three hours of protesting.

Mallam Sani said: “We demand immediate release of Shiek Zakzaky. And we want him to be released for him to be treated by doctors of his choice over the injuries he sustained”.

Shia protesters storm Kano street over El-Zakkazy arrest

Zaria Massacre: Army had “predetermined mandate” to attack Shi’ites – Group

A non-governmental organisation, Access to Justice, has alleged that the Nigerian Army had a “pre-determined mandate” to attack members of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria, in Zaria on Saturday.

SHITES MUSLIMS KILLED

The deadly clash left scores of the sect’s members dead. The Army claimed the sect made attempt on the life of the Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buratai.

But Access to Justice, during a press conference, addressed by its Director, Joseph Otteh, on Friday in Abuja, said the Army’s claim that the protesters were armed was untrue.

“The response of the Army towards the Shiite protesters was a crime against humanity,” said Mr. Otteh

He, therefore, warned that his organisation would not “hesitate to head for the International Criminal Court, ICC” and insisted that “the Army had a predetermined mandate to do what they did.”

Even as he said the organisation was not in support of blockade of a highway or violent protest by the Shiite Muslim group, Mr Otteh said “the Army lacked constitutional mandate to disperse protests or procession of any kind”‎.

In his view, what the Army ought to have done was to reach out to the police high command in Kaduna State to deploy personnel towards handling the protest.

He said, “The convoy of the Chief of Army Staff could have, in order not to escalate an already violate situation that was unraveling along Zaria Road, chosen another route into Kaduna.

“This would have been a course of action you would expect from a very senior official of government who wants to avoid possible, in fact, likely repercussions of engaging in violent confrontation with the protesters.

“It was reasonably foreseeable that violence can further inflame religious passions which were already very high among members of the Islamic movement, who had already lost many members to military attacks last year and previous years.

“Such confrontation could also trigger a violent blackash and radicalise members of the group in the same way that Boko Haram was transformed after security and law enforcement officials attacked their members and extra judicially executed many of them.

“This history should have figured in how the military chooses to respond to protesters.

“The people of Nigeria have a right to assemble freely, even on public streets. Where protests offend against traffic laws, the protesters should be managed or restrained and if necessary, prosecuted.”

The organisation asked President Muhammadu Buhari to institute a high-powered independent commission of inquiry to unravel the remote and immediate causes of the massacre condemned by United States, United Kingdom, Iran and both chambers of the Nigerian National Assembly.

“Access to Justice demands that a thorough, independent and impartial inquiry be carried out by the Federal Government over this incident.

“It should be noted that this is not the first time the Nigerian Army has attacked members of the sect.

“In July 2014, scores of members of this group, including two sons of Sheik El-Zakzaky were killed by officers of the Nigerian Army as they were holding a peaceful procession along a road.

“Up till this time, the Nigerian government has yet to investigate the incident neither has anyone been brought to account over the attacks,” Mr. Otteh said.

He noted that the failure of government to investigate the 2014 killings may have contributed indirectly to the Saturday incident.

“Where governments do not show serious concern for the safety and integrity of human life and allow security or law enforcement agents to act with impunity, it strengthens the hands and minds of abusers,” he added.

Zaria Massacre: Army had “predetermined mandate” to attack Shi’ites – Group

Zaria Massacre: CAN, NSCIA demand judicial commission of inquiry, call for calm

The Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, and Nigeria Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, NSCIA, have urged the Nigerian government to investigate the killing of several members of the Shi’ia sect during a clash with the Nigerian Army in Zaria, Kaduna State.

Ayo oritsejafor

The army had on Saturday clashed with the group. The exact number of those killed is yet to be ascertained.

CAN and NSCIA are the highest decision-making bodies of the two major religions in Nigeria, and serve as the umbrella bodies of all Christian and Muslim groups respectively.

While CAN urged President Muhammadu Buhari to intervene and probe the killings “to avoid the escalation of the crisis”, NSCIA set up a seven-man contact committee to meet with all parties “in the interest of peace and security in Nigeria”.

A statement by the national secretary of CAN, Musa Asake, said although the body would not pre-empt any action to be taken by the government and the Nigerian Army, it would sue for peace between the two contending parties.

CAN demanded the setting up of a judicial panel of inquiry to establish the cause of the crisis and prevent a reoccurrence.

It drew the president’s “attention to the fact that similar circumstances as this led to the escalation of belligerence from the Jamā’at Ahl as-Sunnah lid-Da’wah wa’l-Jihād, also known as Boko Haram”.

While urging that no harm should be done to the spiritual leader of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria, Ibrahim El-Zakzaky, CAN said the establishment of the panel would help forestall fresh insurgent activities in the country.

The association said it “observed, with much sadness, the altercation between the Nigerian Army and Muslim faithful of the Shia Islamic movement, which led to loss of lives of many members of the Shiite”.

“Our faith is bed-rocked on love. We do not only love ourselves, but we also love our neighbours and Shiite Muslims are our neighbours,” the Christian body said.

The Christian body however condemned reports by an Iranian Network, Press TV, which reportedly claimed that CAN had colluded with Boko Haram and the Nigerian Army to perpetrate the killings of Shi’ia Muslims.

“This is a most unfortunate accusation especially given the fact that CAN has consistently sympathized with the Shias over previous clashes with the authorities,” the association said.

“We urge the Iranian backed Press TV to be mindful of its reportage in order not to stoke religious tensions in Nigeria. We work on the assumption that that is not their intention.”

The association also called “on all lovers of God, be they Christian or Muslims, whether Sunni or Shia, to keep the peace and await judicious action from constituted authority”.

On its part, the Muslim body, NSCIA, set up a seven-man committee to meet with all parties involved in Saturday’s clash.

The decision to set up the committee was taken at an expanded general purpose committee meeting comprising notable Muslims and heads of all Islamic organizations in Nigeria.

The meeting held on Wednesday at the National Mosque in Abuja.

The Secretary General of the NSCIA, Is-haq Oloyede, who spoke with reporters at the end of the meeting, said Muslim leaders decided to come together “to express their concern about what is happening in Zaria and call for restraint on the part of all stakeholders in the interest of peace and security of Nigeria”.

He said NSCIA had also decided to call on the Nigerian government to set up a judicial commission of inquiry to probe the incident.

“Council also decided to set up a seven-man contact committee to meet with all parties and call for caution that we should await the report of the commission of inquiry,” he said.

The group’s scribe said, Daud Naibi would serve as the chairman of the committee, while Muzammil Hanga, Abubakar Tsav, Ibrahim Suleiman, Yusuf Ali, Abubakar Siddique and Is-haq Oloyede would serve as members.

Mr. Oloyede, a professor, said the judicial panel inquiry that should be set up by the government should include all relevant persons and organisations, including the NSCIA.

“If possible members of the group concerned should also be represented on the commission so that whatever comes out would be something that is credible and would be seen as impartial,” he said.

Mr. Oloyede said another decision taken at the meeting was a call to all Muslims in Nigeria to take advantage of the next Jumaat prayer on Friday “to offer special prayers for this country”.

He said with adequate prayers, God would aid the return of peace to the country.

Mr. Oloyede also called on the government and citizens to always adhere to the laws of the land.

“We continue to call for caution from all parties including the aggrieved and we call on the government and the citizens of this country that the best way to solving any grievances or infractions is through the rule of law.

“We should always seek the law as a solution to any of the problems we have, rather than self-help either on the part of the government or the citizenry,” he said.

The meeting was chaired by the supreme leader of the NSCIA, the Sultan of Sokoto, Saad Abubakar, and was attended by several Muslim leaders across the country.

Zaria Massacre: CAN, NSCIA demand judicial commission of inquiry, call for calm

Our men did not kill shiite members - Police denies

The Kaduna Police Command on Wednesday denied reports that its men killed three members of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria during a protest at Tudun Wada area in the state capital on Tuesday.

Police Inspector General, Solomon Arase

The Command’s Public Relations Officer, Zubairu Abubakar, told our correspondent that none of the sect members was killed by policemen during a protest.

He further explained that the policemen were only sent to the area to forestall any break down of law and order following rumours that members of the movement were planning to embark on a violent protest in the state capital.

He also explained that the sect members were the ones that attacked the police patrol team with dangerous weapons, an act he said, prompted the policemen to use teargas to disperse the soaring protesters.

Zubairu stated that a combined team of soldiers and policemen have been stationed at Tudun Wada and other volatile areas in the state capital to maintain law and order, but advised members of the public to be law abiding and report any suspicious movement to security agencies.

In the meantime, relative calm has returned in the state capital and some parts of Zaria, while heavily armed soldiers are still stationed at the PZ and Guyllesu areas in the ancient city where the bloody clash between the sect members and soldiers took place last weekend.

A resident of Zaria told our correspondent in Kaduna that the entire place is cordoned off as nobody is allowed to move around until the situation is brought under control.

Our men did not kill shiite members - Police denies

Video: The clash between Nigerian army and Shia group in Kaduna

Video: The clash between Nigerian army and Shia group in Kaduna

Fani-Kayode speaks fire on Buhari, says this is a government of sadists

By Ehi Ekhator, United Kingdom

An ardent critic and a former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode who recently changed his name to Olufemi Olu-Kayode has taken a sweep on Buhari led-government on its action against the Shi’tes in Kaduna on Monday.

President Buhari

Fani-Kayode in a series of tweets condemned the act and the international media for muting on the massacre.

The former Aviation minister described Nigeria as a country governed, run by sadists, adding that they malign the weak and discipline the innocent.

The critic who expressed anger towards the recent incident in Kaduna where soldiers lay siege at the residence of Shi’tes leader Sheikh al-Zakzaky killing over hundred, with rumours saying that his wife was also shot, said”100 Shia Muslims are massacred in one night in Kaduna and there is no mention of it on BBC and CNN and no sense of outrage in our country.

“A man is granted bail but the minute he steps out of court he is dragged off the streets and whisked away yet there is no sense of outrage.

“This is a government of sadists, run by sadists and for sadists. They are cowardly, wicked, malicious, petty, vicious and incompetent. They are a government of liars, run by liars and for liars. They malign the weak and punish the innocent but God will see their end.

“They are soft on Boko Haram whilst they kill the shia, the christians, the Biafrans, the young, the old, the weak and the vulnerable. ”

Referring to the way the accused persons in the ongoing $2.1bn arms deal saga are treated, Fani-Kayode said “They defy court orders and mock the judges. They abuse power and defy the word of God. Instead of being just and true they are perverse in all their ways. May God curse them and may He bring them down. May He show Himself mighty in battle and may He avenge the innocent.”

The angry and disappointed Fani-Kayode also took a sweep on those who are in support of the current government. He said “Shame unto all those that have chosen to dine with the devil by joining this government. There is no fellowship between light and darkness.

Picture of bleeding sheikh Zakzaky. Source: @ZahradeenAAhmad

“I would rather die than join a government of Haramites and closet fundamentalists. By the time it’s over Nigeria will beg PDP to come back.

“Like the proverbial frog that is slowly being boiled in water but that does not even feel it,our people are being taken for a ride by Buhari

“To sedate them and distract them from his monumental failures and their own misery and hardship he feeds them with daily doses of lies, falsehood and sensational and unsubstantiated allegations of the so-called corruption of key players in the previous administration.

“Sadly they lap it up with joy and accept all they are being told without question. They forget that allegations are a dime a dozen and that trial by media does not often result in a conviction in the courts of law. Meanwhile as this obscene circus show of labelling everyone but himself as a crook and feeding the innocents to the lions continuous, Buhari is destroying the lives of the people, ruining the economy, crushing his opponents, silencing his detractors, discrediting his adversaries and dividing our nation.

“The botton line is this: Nigeria is turning into a police state where state-sponsored lies and propaganda hold sway and where fear, coercion and intimidation is the primary tool of governance. May God grant us courage and may the forces of light, truth and justice prevail.

“The bottom line is this: Nigeria is turning into a police state where state-sponsored lies and propaganda hold sway and where fear, coercion and intimidation is the primary tool of governance. May God grant us courage and may the forces of light, truth and justice prevail.”

Read what Iraqi Senior Shi’te clerics says over the attack

Fani-Kayode speaks fire on Buhari, says this is a government of sadists

Shi"te attack: Nigerian government turn to ISIS terrorism - Iraqi Shiite Cleric

Senior Iraqi Shiite cleric and the Leader of the Sadrist Movement, Moqtada al-Sadr criticized strongly on Monday, the Nigerian security authorities attack on the house of a Nigerian

Picture of bleeding sheikh Zakzaky. Source: @ZahradeenAAhmad

Shiite cleric, Ibrahim al-Zakzaky has called for his followers to go out in protest demonstrations on the incident next Friday.

Sadr said in a statement posted on his official website, that “what happened today from terrorism and state terrorism in Nigeria is a serious and dangerous,” adding that “the government turned to ISIS terrorism at is the first approach and the way to kill Shiites without the guilt. “

Sadr noted that ” attacking unarmed supporters of Sheikh al-Zakzaky and intentionality arrest him and hide or kill him without guilt, just because they are Opponents then where is the freedom and democracy” ?, calling it as an “aggression” as “a deliberately to stoke sectarian strife”.

Sadr called on Iraqis to go out on “mass” demonstrations on Friday in Najaf, Karbala and all the provinces to protest against the incident, as well as raising picture of al-Zakzaky detainee and his assistant, Sheikh Muhammad Turi who was killed by the Nigerian authorities.

Al-Sadr has demanded to send a parliamentary government delegation from al-Hozoa to find out the facts incident, appealing the international bodies to intervene “to end such attacks.”

The Nigerian army attacked on Saturday the home of the leader of the Islamic Movement in the country Sheikh, “Ibrahim al-Zakzaky which led to the death and injury of dozens of the movement’s members.

According to al-Waghat site , the army troops have attacked a gathering of Shia Muslims who attended a Husseinya in Zaria city “, for the funeral of one of the victims who were killed a few days ago at the hands of “Boko Haram” terrorist Wahhabism group, in which its leader declared his pledge allegiance to ISIS terrorist organization.

Sheikh Zakzaky has criticized earlier strongly the Nigerian government because of political corruption, and relations with the Israeli entity and exchange of information between the security agencies of the two countries, and ” Boko Haram ” and its relations with some leaders of the Nigerian army and other topics.

Shi"te attack: Nigerian government turn to ISIS terrorism - Iraqi Shiite Cleric

Army/Shiite clash: I escaped by the will of God — Buratai

*Death toll hits 1,000, says sect spokesman

*El-Zakzaky, wife in our custody

By Henry Umoru, Luka Binniyat, Joseph Erunke & Mayen Etim

ABUJA—CHIEF of Army Staff, Lt-Gen. Tukur Buratai, said yesterday it was by divine intervention that he escaped being assassinated on Saturday, by members of the Shiites Muslim sect.

The sect on its part claimed that at least one thousand of its members had been killed and that soldiers had evacuated their bodies following the weekend clash between its members and the military.

The Nigerian Army also said “the leader of the Shiite Islamic Movement of Nigeria, Sheikh Ibraheem El-Zakzaky and his wife are in the custody of the Nigerian Army, “safe and sound” in a secured and protective custody.”

The army boss said contrary to claim that members of the Shiites group were not armed, they were not only heavily armed but also violently confronted him and his convoy on his way to Zaria.

The Army chief spoke to newsmen at the National Assembly complex, shortly after attending an interactive meeting called by the Senate Committee on Defence, for service chiefs.

“You want to know how I escaped? It was by the will of God that I was able to escape from the place,”he said, while advising citizens to be law abiding wherever they are.

Insisting that the group was violent, Buratai stressed: “ I think NTA was there and they aired the clip, it was very clear . They were violent and the clip is there.”

Meanwhile, the sect spokesman, Ibrahim Musa said. “We have reports that bodies of our members killed outside the house of our leader, Sheikh Ibrahim Zakzaky are being evacuated in trucks by soldiers and our leader was arrested this morning (yesterday) in his demolished home by soldiers where he had been holed up in a room that was spared from the fire that gutted the house from grenades.”

Ibrahim Musa, in a statement he issued in Kaduna alleged that the army was not only selectively killing its members yesterday, but it had instigated the public to join in the killings.

The Nigeria Police, and Kaduna State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) were mute yesterday over the claims.

El-Zakzaky, wife in our custody — Army

The Nigerian Army said yesterday that the leader of the Shiite Islamic Movement of Nigeria, Sheikh Ibraheem El-Zakzaky and his wife are in its custody “safe and sound” in a secured and protective custody,

Addressing a late evening press conference yesterday, the General Officer Commanding, GOC, 1 Division of Nigerian Army, Major General Adeniyi Oyebade said the order given to the troops was to ensure that the sect leader was taken into a safe custody and as at 09:15am he was brought into the custody the Army with his wife and some family members.

The GOC further said that the sect leader would soon be allowed access to his members.

General Oyebade added that in the course of operation there were casualties on both sides, but did not mention the number of casualties.

He said: “On December 12, 2015, myself and the Commissioner of Police were with President Muhammadu Buhari who was in the state for an assignment when I received a distress call that the life of the Chief of Army Staff, COAS, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai was threatened by some hoodlums who blocked his way on Sokoto road in Zaria city.

“After much persuasions from senior officers on the entourage, the hoodlums who were later identified as Shi’ites members remain adamant and in line with our rules of engagement, we have no option but to clear the road for the COAS and in the course of doing that, the hoodlums started throwing missiles on us; and our men responded which resulted to minimum casualties.

“From there we received information that they have started mobilizing in one of their temples at Husainiyya, the resident of the leader at Gyellesu and on Dambo road. That was on Saturday night, this lead to a long night of battle.

“We have nothing against the Shi’ites because they’re all Nigerians and our duty is also to protect them. But we cannot tolerate them forming a government within a government. I call on all shi’ites members to be law abiding and go about their religious activities without tampering with the freedom of others,” he said.

In its own statement, Shiite said: “Following the brutal attack on the Islamic Movement in Nigeria by the Nigerian Army in Zaria where scores have been extra-judicially killed, we wish to state as follows: “A source has confirmed that the Army has taken the revered leader of the Movement, Sayyid Ibraheem Zakzaky (H) from his house this morning and is receiving treatment for injuries he sustained during the attack.

“About a thousand of members of the Movement have been massacred at the moment as counting continues, but the soldiers are now busy evacuating the dead bodies to unknown destination.

“There are hundreds of others that have received various degrees of injuries that are in need of assistance that have currently been denied access by the soldiers on ground who are in a killing spree, shooting anyone identified as a member of the Movement.

“The army is deliberately exploiting religious sectarian sentiment to instigate uninformed public, some of whom are now busy killing innocent and unarmed members of the Movement at sight using local weapons.

”The Army is at present dressing corpses of members of the Movement with their military attire and snapping still pictures to probably display them as soldiers killed by the Movement during the attack as a means of propaganda, whereas it was solely an attack by the army on armless citizens.”

“The army has also stationed road blocks in Zaria picking out innocent unarmed people that look like members of the Movement and killing them in cold block. Even today they put an army road block in Zaria to Kaduna highway near Nuhu Bamalli Polytechnic, searching for any member of the Islamic Movement. The most weird of many of such cases is that of an army road block at Dogarawa near Zaria where they killed thirty of our members traveling to Zaria yesterday Sunday.

“We wish to state here that some of those earlier declared dead through various sources might not have been killed but might be severely injured and in need of assistance.

“In connection with the above mentioned, we wish to declare as follows:

“Members of the Movement should be allowed immediate access to Sayyid Ibraheem Zakzaky (H) as a means of taming the the situation from aggravating unnecessarily.

“We believe that the army is clearing the corpses to unknown locations for mass burials to cover up for it’s crime. We hereby demand unequivocally that they should release the corpses to us, so that we can give them a proper Islamic burial. The people they killed are not foreigners, they are citizens with their relatives known.

“The Army should stop the unnecessary stage management of the whole incident making it look like what it is not through false and provocative press statements, incitements and ground activities which might not augur well for everyone.

“Access to health facilities should immediately be allowed to those injured anywhere in Zaria.

“We believe that this incident is planned and executed by the government which has been looking the other way while the army was killing members of the Movement for a period of over 27 hours from Saturday on without any statement and is still quiet as the army continues with its killing spree.

“The Islamic Movement in Nigeria is a peaceful and unarmed Movement with members in every cadre of the society that are entitled to every rights enjoyed by every other Nigerian, including religious rights, whose fundamental rights have been trampled upon by the government in its claim to be fighting against violent extremism, but instead spreading violence and hatred using state machinery.

“Finally, as the Army continues its genocide on members of the Movement, with support of the government, we hereby call on peace lovers and the international community to join us in condemning the act for it is virtually ridiculous to think that the government can kill the millions of members of the Movement”.

Meanwhile, Vanguard findings showed that normalcy has returned to the affected parts of Zaria town and government offices, markets, shops and other business activities as well as bus town services had commenced.

But Banks in Zaria remained under lock and key.

“We are grateful things are gradually coming back to shape,” said Makama Sani, to our reporter on phone.

“As I am taking to you now I am just from PZ area, I went round Sabongari and came back to Tudun Wada area,” he said.

Army/Shiite clash: I escaped by the will of God — Buratai

Buratai: Assassination Attempt: Army raids Shi"te Islamic Group, 20 fear dead

…Shi’tes leader arrested

Nigerian military has arrested the leader of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria, a Shi’te Islamic group in Nigeria, Ibrahim Elzakzaky at his residence.

This is barely 24hours after Shi’te group allegedly attack the Chief of Army Staff convoy, Tukur Buratai which led to the military opening fire at the groups in Kaduna.

According to Premium Times report, a top leader of the movement, Muhammadu Turi and the head of the medical team of the sect, Mustapha Saidu, and several others were killed during the siege.

 

While the army accused Elzakzaky and its group of attempting to assassinate the Military Chief, the Islamic Movement said soldiers simply attacked defenseless people

According to the information gathered, Nigerian troops sustained a crackdown on the members of the sect throughout the night as heavy shootings and sounds of explosion were head in Gellesu and Sokoto Road, where Hussainiyya the spiritual centre of the sect is located.

 

Residents, according to Premium Times confirmed that they saw the Hussainiyya shrine and the residence of the leader of the sect being demolished by armoured tanks

The Online medium quoted a source as saying that 19 bodies of Shi’te members killed in the raid were brought to military hospital in Chindit Barracks Depot of the Nigerian Army in Zaria.

The attack on the  military chief may be unconnected to the incident that led to the death of Ibrahim Elzakzaky’s three children in July 2014.

The clash in 2014 also led to the death of thirty-two other persons, all of them followers of the Shi’tes leader during the sect’s annual street procession in the city of Zaria, Kaduna State.

Ibrahim Elzakzaky who lamented the loss of his children whom he said were studying abroad added that his fourth son was shot on his leg.

Elzakzaky said: “We tried to rush him to the hospital but the soldiers blocked everywhere along the way. He bled to death,”.

He claimed that his two other sons and many of his followers were all arrested by the army and later killed in cold blood.

He said: “When we demanded for the release of our people, the Army refused. They said they would take them to Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital (ABUTH) for medication not knowing that the two were killed.

“The soldiers also arrested some people including three of my sons. They were taken alive and later killed two of them. I want to assure you that these two children were cold bloodedly murdered because they were taken alive.”

 

Buratai: Assassination Attempt: Army raids Shi"te Islamic Group, 20 fear dead