Report By
Stephen Lawan
The
National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has pledged to set up a high-powered
committee to investigate the killing of 34 people, mostly students by the
Nigeria military during the International Quds Day procession in Zaria on 25
and 26 July, 2014.
The
move came as a result of a rally held at the headquarters of the NHRC by the
Nigerian students from various tertiary institutions under the umbrella of
Academic Forum of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (AFIMN) last month, pressing
for justice.
NHRC
gave the assurance when representatives of the Academic Forum presented to the
commission detail report of the killing, which included pictures and video
clips in Abuja yesterday.
Receiving
the supporting documents on behalf of the Executive Secretary, Signatory of the
NHRC Kabiru Alhassan stated that, “the commission will make an independent
investigation to ascertain if what happened violated the victims’ right to life
as guaranteed under section 33 of 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of
Nigeria (as amended) and other regional and international Human Rights
instrument, to which Nigeria is a party”.
Responding,
representatives of the Academic Forum hoped for a speedy and just response from
the Commission, saying justice delayed is justice denied.
It
would be recalled that on the 25th and 26th of July ,2014 , a detachment of
Nigerian Army headed by Lt. Col. S .O Oku in a broad daylight murdered 34
people, including 3 of Shaikh Ibraheem Zakzaky’s sons, during the annual
International Quds Day procession in Zaria.
Chairman
of the NHRC, Professor Chidi Ansalem Odinkalu had also paid condolence visit to
Shaikh Zakzaky, where he pledged that the commission “will seek all legal
avenues and employ all legal mechanisms to ensure law takes its rightful
course”.
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