Femi Adi/Kaduna

Sheikh Ibrahim ZakZaky:

Members of Islamic Movement of Nigeria otherwise known as the Shi’ite sect have rejected the  panel constituted by Minister of Interior, Lt. General Abdulrahaman Dambazau to investigate the Saturday’s  Zaria killings by soldiers.

General Dambazau, who appointed Zaria Police Area Commander to investigate the immediate and remote causes of the recent clash between soldiers and Shi’ite members in Zaria  that led to the  death of scores of people, had on Tuesday led the Federal government high powered delegation to Zaria to visit the affected areas which included, Sheikh El-Zakzaky’s residence that was demolished by the army.

In a press statement signed by President, Media Forum of the Islamic Movement, Malam Ibrahim Musa , members of the Shi’ite sect  they are rejecting the panel because of  fears of circumventing the truth and  because they lack  confidence in the police.

According to the statement , the sect members also rejected the investigation panel  on grounds that Area Commander is a junior rank officer compared to the perpetrators of the attack,  high ranking officers of the army.

The Sect members , who expressed anger failure of Dambazau visit the injured Shi’ite members who are languishing at Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, however  demanded that a high powered investigative panel headed by a high ranking officer should be constituted, whose members should include members of some human rights organisations and other highly respected elders of the country

Meanwhile , the sect members called on the army authorities that order for  evacuation of the corpses of  killed members  deposited at the morgue of Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital and buried them in unknown mass graves to allow them excavate the corpses wherever they buried for a proper burial .

It stated , “This is is against all known Islamic laws and principles and even the international laws. The Nigerian army has desecrated our dead.
We hereby demand the location of the mass burial, and the interrogation of those who ordered the operation.”

According to the statement , it is  a very unfortunate episode in the massacre of innocent Muslims conducted by the Nigerian army. It queried , ” How can people whose parents and relatives are all known be buried without proper Islamic burial?”