Though the legal team of the Sheikh Ibraheem El-Zakzaky-led Islamic Movement of Nigeria had long distanced itself from whatever may be the final report of the Judicial Commission of Inquiry set up to establish the facts of the December 12 Army – Shiites clash in Zaria, reports of the Commission’s findings so far revealed favoured the religious sect. They indicted key military officers.
I also had my reservation about the constitution of the commission of enquiry, noting the reputation of some members known for their expressed hatred of the sect, but their reported indictment of Army is in tandem with our outrage and disappointment in the handling of the group’s misconduct last December.
The crackdown on Shiites was evidently highhanded but sectarian sentiments didn’t let a number of us empathise with the victims. We dispossessed them of their humanity, that they were presented as “unmournable.” A number of key military officers who authorised the operation were named in the report and fairly indicted, and this may be another of President MuhammaduBuhari’s test of integrity, which has been unconvincing since assuming duty as President.
It was not justBuhari’s subjective reaction to the killings in Zaria that put his integrity under scrutiny, it was a lot other things: he’s refused to address or reverse the widely challenged employment scams; he’s quick to protect both General Tukur Buratai and General Abdurrahman Dambazzau, despite evidences and reports of their dubious practices in property ownership and arms procurement; his appointments have been evidently lopsided, and denying this may be because it favours one’s region; he’s refused victims of his anti-corruption crusade bails which were granted by the court, violating their rights;
his position on the herdsmen – farmers clashes has been disturbing, especially his silence on the incessant killings on villages whereas he’s quick to address tragedies in foreign countries; and also he declared on an international TV that he won’t treat the eastern part of the country as he would the other regions because they were electorally rebellious to his emergence as President.
The truest test of Buhari’s integrity may be taking side with the the army while we await impartial judgement on the killings of Shiites in Zaria.
This was cruel and unbecoming for the nation’s Commander-in-Chief. Long before a panel was set up, he was on national TV passing judgment during his Media Chat, unsympathetic and, instead of calming the nation as we await a less sentimental version of what really transpired between the two parties through a proper channel, he chose to express shock over the audacity of those “kids” in stopping the senior members of his former institution.
Well, Nigeria has a reputation for violating human rights, which is why some citizens attempted to paint transgression as that of the Shiites as a form of terrorism and enough and justified reason to kill them. All over the world, cases of civilians confronting members of the Armed Forces are a reality for which measures are in place to dismantle threats. Our soldiers were not only brutal in dealing with this inferior party, they even returnedto the habitats of the Shiite votaries with one aim: to kill them.
In the dusk of their attack, the Shiite group reported losses of over one thousand members, with the conservative figure in the media being. The Army, true to their style, confirmed killing just seven members despite the mass graves in which corpses of their targets were hidden in dehumanised forms. Perhaps the most unfortunate twist in discussing this shame of a nation is the legion of cheerleaders, comprising holders of postgraduate degrees and seemingly mentally stable citizens, which has been in the forefront justifying the killings.
There’s a wide civility gap between Nigeria and sane societies. Because even in war, there’s a rule of engagement in assessing threats and dismantling them.
A teachable moment of such engagement has to be the recent foiled coup in Turkey where policemen arrested soldiers, unarmed civilians disarmed and flogged treacherous soldiers, mutinous soldiers couldn’t run their tanks over anti-coup protesters. You, even the most desperate soldiers at the risk of being seized and court-martialled couldn’t run their tanks over civilians. It was civility, their sensitivity to the cost of life which no amount of money can buy or apologies can restore. Imagine these seemingly fantastical events of the Turkish coup happening in Nigeria. Indeed, there’s a difference between a jungle and a wildlife park.
The conflict now is whether indeed the interests of Islamic Movement of Nigeria were represented by the Commission. Presenting its report, the Chairman of the Commission Justice Mohammed LawalGarba, said the Shiite group “had appeared, they were represented by counsels at the initial stage of the proceedings, but for no reason known to the commission, the counsels decided to opt out.”
I said for no reason known to the commission because there was no formal communication to the commission on why they decided not to continue their appearance before the commission. “However, there were newspapers and online publications that they did not want to appear. Because of that we had to apply for extension of time and at the end of the day we have been able to produce a report of the commission’s assignment,”
Reaction to this allegation of withdrawal without notice, the counsels to Islamic Movement of Nigeria explained that it’s “it is disingenuous for the Chairman of the Commission to claim that he is not aware of the reasons for the withdrawal of the Legal Team of the IMN (comprising of Femi Falana, SAN, Festus Okoye Esq and Maxwell Kyon Esq) from further participation in the proceedings of the Commission”, and then the legal team went on to state its reasons: that were barred from meeting Sheikh El-Zakzaky, and that the Commission was informed, and that despite efforts to have permissions to their client in detention, with the Attorneys-General of the Federal of Kaduna State formally informed, the authorities refused them access. This alone was an indication that the commission was bound to an obvious compromise.
And it’s true, barring access to Sheikh El-Zakzaky should heighten our curiosity. Where is El-Zakzaky? May God save us from us!
