After Extra-Judicially Assassinating Civilians In Zaria, Nigerian Army Filed Complaint With Human Rights Commission

The Nigerian Army has petitioned the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) over the alleged assassination attempt on the life of the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Tukur Buratai along Sokoto road in Zaria, Kaduna State on Saturday, December 12, 2015 by members of the Shiite sect.

Presenting a two-page petition to the NHRC, the Chief of Administration of the Nigerian Army, Major General Adamu Abubakar, said that personnel on the entourage of the Chief of Army Staff responded to gunshots fired at their convoy by members of the sect in order to provide a safe corridor for the Army Chief and his convoy.

“The Chief of Army Staff wishes to reiterate and assure the Shiites nationwide that the Nigerian Army is not in any way against them but was forced to respond to the brutal attack by some misguided elements within them,” he said.

The Executive Secretary of the commission, Professor Bem Angwe, who received the petition on behalf of the commission promised to investigate the alleged attack in order to prevent a recurrence.

He acknowledged that the formal complaint by the Army was an indication that it recognises “the fact that Nigeria is in a democracy and that issues such as this must be handled under the rule of law”.

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.