Leaders of Shia Islamic Movement of Nigeria has said that members of the Shiite sect had no premeditated plan to attack the convoy of Chief of Army Staff, Lt Col Tukur Buratai but the army stationed soldiers who created tension that led to the clash.
On Wednesday, the army released a video detailing how soldiers were pleading with the angry members of the Shiite sect to remove barricades and let the top soldier’s convoy pass.
While addressing journalists in Abuja, the group’s Media Forum Secretary, Abdulmumin Giwa, and Yola leader of the movement, Abdulrahman Abubakar insisted that the clash was unprovoked.
Giwa said “We had no premeditated plan to attack the chief of army staff as claimed by the army. On that fateful day when we were getting set to celebrate the Maulud of our holy prophet at the Husseiniyya prayer ground, the Nigerian Army came and stationed a detachment of soldiers there and the military presence created tension amongst our members. Even when the COAS came to pass, there was no incident at all. But two hours later, soldiers came back and began to open fire on our members. More than 300 people were killed there.
“We have never been associated with any form of violence in many years of our existence. In fact, we have been rated as the highest donor to the blood bank in Nigeria.”
Abubakar also explained that later in the night, the army went to Gellesu residence of leader of the Sect, Sheikh Ibraheem El-Zakzaky and opened fire the Sheikh and three of his children.
The group demanded that the army hand over the Sheikh and members who have been arrested.
“We want the army to hand over our leader, Sheikh El-Zakzaky, to us immediately for medical care. We ask the military to release all our arrested members. We ask for the army to stop molestation of our members; all corpses of our brothers and sisters killed by the army should be released for proper Islamic burial.
“We want full compensation for the lives lost as well as our properties destroyed, and we want a full-scale investigation and prosecution of culprits involved in the killing of our members, Giwa said while stating the group’s demands.
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