Kaduna Commission of Inquiry should bury themselves in Shame over Zaria Massacre

AhlulBayt News Agency - The Judicial Commission of Inquiry tasked to investigate the unfortunate Zaria Massacre submitted it's report to the Kaduna State Government.

The Islamic Movement in Nigeria boycotted the commission due to its illegitimacy, the commission had the membership of some personalities who voiced out their hatred against the Islamic Movement in Nigeria and its leader, Sheikh Ibraheem Zakzaky (H). The commission also lack power to facilitate the release of the leader of the Islamic Movement and the detained brothers and sisters of the Islamic Movement knowing that they are the witnesses of the unfortunate massacre. Due to this reasons and more, The Islamic Movement in Nigeria decided to boycott the commission thereby not appearing before the it, this is because the commission looks much like a commission of indictment not a commission of inquiry.

The KDJCI confirmed that the massacre was not based on the Nigerian Army rule of engagement as there was no legal command from the appropriate authority to conduct it. The commission went ahead to indict some officers of the Nigerian Army for the killings. Since the attack had been proved illegitimate, the brothers and sisters of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria were well within there constitutional rights to defend themselves from the attack, what ever happened to the attackers is due to self defence contrary to the report which states that the members of the Islamic Movement are responsible for the death of a soldier and they should be penalized, this is injustice. The report also found Sheikh Ibraheem Zakzaky (H) guilty of not been able to control the members of his movement, this is also injustice because the commission did not hear from him before arriving at the conclusion. On the other hand, the commission failed to indict the Nigerian President, Muhammadu Buhari, the Nigerian Army, the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Tukur Yusuf Buratai and the Kaduna State Governor, Mal Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai for their involvement.

The attack took place from Saturday to Monday, about 70 hours. The commission didn't find it necessary to investigate the Nigerian President and the Chief of Army Staff for not being able to control their Army knowing that they were carrying out an illegitimate attack for three days. The Chief of Army Staff, Buratai backed the attack in his in his submission to the National Human Rights Commission in Abuja, but the KDJCI did not find it necessary to investigate him. Another duty assigned to the KDJCI is to find out the remote cause of the incident. One of the people that appeared before the commission with his submission displayed a video whereby the Nigerian Army, heavily Armed with dangerous weapons were seen assembling directly opposite Hussainiyyah Baqiyyatullah in the video. What really happened that time was, some Men of the Nigerian Army appeared fully armed with dangerous weapons and bullet reload boxes for contingency.

As usual, Brothers and sisters of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria were preparing for the flag hoisting ceremony to welcome the month of Rabi'ul Auwal, the Birth month of the holy prophet of Islam Muhammad (SAAW), while some children of IMN were in an extra moral lesson organized by Mu'assatu AbulFadl Abbas (as), then comes the Men of the Nigerian Army. They positioned them selves around Hussainiyyah Baqiyyatullah with much concentration opposite the Hussainiyyah gate. Some brothers went to inquire about the reason behind the unusual appearance, they said that they were there to protect their Chief against possible attack as they are holding a passing out parade at Depot NA.

The brothers told them that we don't have any plan to attack anyone as we have never been engaged in such acts, we are always at the receiving end of attacks. The Army refused to relocate from that area, so brothers had to insist because, IMN have been victimized by many attacks from the Nigerian Army. When the brothers insisted, the Nigerian Army started taking shooting positions around the area living the brothers with only one option which is calling for Allah's protection. The brothers started chanting slogans while the Army were shooting in the air and later on started shooting on the brothers. The Army pulled back for some meters and later came back with the convoy of the Chief of Army Staff, claiming that they want to pass. They encountered some youths protesting for the killing of their brothers and sisters. The Chief of Army Staff convoy shoot through the protesters and passed successfully thereby killing more people. Later, another set of the Nigerian Army came back in order to accomplish the plan. But the Kaduna State Judicial Commission of Inquiry reported that the remote cause of the incident is a road blockage.

The Kaduna State Government also tasked the Kaduna State Judicial Commission of Inquiry to investigate the number of people dead and displaced. Before the commission was set up, the Islamic Movement in Nigeria publicised a list of about 1000 people whose fate is not accounted for. The KDJCI did not investigate to find out the fate of those people, though some credible information revealed that some of them are under DSS detention while some are with the Army.

Before the report of the commission was submitted, the Kaduna state Government filed a case against more than 500 members of the Islamic Movement (women and children inclusive) asking the court to give them death sentence for culpable homicide for the death of a soldier whose identity has not been publicised. Yet, the KDJCI did not find any fault in that. In as much as I own my right to think, the KDJCI report is useless.



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