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Sheikh Zakzaky |
The
Northern State Governors Forum (NSGF), in a communiqué issued at its
meeting last Friday, called on the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN) to cooperate
with the Judicial Commission of Inquiry set up by the Kaduna State Government
to investigate the December military attack on members of IMN in Zaria.
We appreciate the Governors call, at
least it is an acknowledgement on their part that something unfortunate in the
history of the North happened in Zaria that if not handled fairly and justly
could have long-term consequences for the region and the country in general.
However IMN made their points for staying away from the commission very clear and
will like to remind the Governors and the general public. None of the reasons
have been given consideration or addressed by any of the relevant authorities
or even by the NSGF or all those clamouring for our appearance before the
commission.
Foremost among the reasons is the
continued incarceration of the leader of the Islamic Movement, Sheikh Ibraheem
Zakzaky, who we all know was attacked in his own house towards midnight in what
the Army termed ‘cordoned and search’ operation without any justification. The
crux of the matter is that there is simply no rational basis for the soldier’s
attack in his residence in the first place. In effect justice demands
that Sheikh Zakzaky is supposed to be a free man so that he can give his own
input to the Commission on his own volition.
As things stands now, those who are
accused of killing at least 1000 people including women and children are
roaming about freely, despite admission that they buried at least 347 of those
in a night burial in a mass grave in an attempt to hide their crime. On the
other hand, Sheikh Zakzaky and hundreds of his followers who are victims of the
brutal military attack are behind bars, with some standing trial for alleged
culpable homicide. This smacks of gross injustice and bias on the part of the
government that sets up the Commission. IMN firmly believes that for justice to
be seen to be done, Sheikh Zakzaky should be promptly set free unconditionally.
IMN
also pointed at the lopsided composition of the commission, which is set in a way
to suggest that the final report was already determined against it. We have
already pointed out to the government and the public that among the ’13 wise
men and women’ of the Commission are three people who are well known in their
hate campaigns against the IMN. This has not been addressed too.
What
we had expected the NSGF to have dwelt up is not our absence from the
proceedings of the Commission but the disturbing facts emanating from the
confessions of the Kaduna state government in the mass burial of 347 people and
the denial of such a war crime by the soldiers involved. The Army admitted
before the panel that it handed ‘few corpses’ for the mass burial. Our records
shows that close to 400 others remain unaccounted for. Thus the NSGF ought to
be sufficiently disturbed that a "few" of their citizens were
secretly buried in mass grave by one of their members and even more disturbing
is the majority of the victims are yet to be accounted for. Did they task
Governor Nasiru Elrufai to explain?
The
Islamic Movement sincerely believes it is not too late for the NSGF to demand
for the immediate release of Sheikh Ibraheem Zakzaky and other members of IMN
in detention. It is only when victims of the military attack in Zaria are
savoring their freedom just like their attackers that justice might be expected
from any judicial commission of inquiry.
Signed:
Ibrahim
Musa
President
Media
Forum Of The Islamic Movement In Nigeria
0805 078 6093
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