Zaria Massacre: Fresh Controversy Arise (PHOTO)

More accusations have been leveled against the Nigerian army, regarding their alleged misconduct in the controversial Zaria massacre.

Members of the sisters forum of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria Kaduna chapter, demanding the immediate release of Sheikh Zakzaky.

According to the Sisters forum of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN), soldiers tortured and defiled members of the Shiite sect before killing them. They claim that the alleged defilement occurred during the clash between the Shi’ite and soldiers in Zaria.

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The allegation was made on Tuesday, January 5, when the women stormed the secretariat of the Nigeria Union of Journalist, Kaduna state council, to protest the alleged unlawful detention of their leader, husbands and children.

Members of the forum called for the release of their leader, Sheikh Ibraheem El-Zakzaky and his wife, as well as their husbands and children.

The Secretary, Hajia Aisha Hassan, who wept as she addressed reporters, said the authorities were insensitive to their plight by detaining their leader and not allowing access to him.

She alleged: “Some of the women were raped before being killed. Women and children have become widows and orphans.

“It is now over three weeks since the Army launched a brutal attack on members of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria, killing over 1,000 people in Zaria after over 27 hours of shooting and bombing.

“These demonic acts perpetrated by soldiers have not only raised their human rights abuse record, but have also turned women into widows, children into orphans and wiped out families.

“The soldiers molested our members and removed their hijab, which is a violation of Islamic right.

“These were followed by propaganda by the government and Army to portray the movement and its leader in bad light, thereby instigating sectarian sentiment and creating tension.

“Although we are aware that it is a deliberate attempt to intimidate and instigate us into violence, we will never resort to anything outside the legal process of seeking redress. This is evident in the way we acted last year when soldiers attacked our members and killed 34 of them, including three sons of our leader.

“Now that they have killed another three, we remain undaunted, calm and resolute.”

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Hajia Hassan urged the government to pay diyya (death compensation) to the bereaved, adding that the bodies of their members should be released for burial according to Islamic rites.

The Nation reports that a top military source, who preferred anonymity, said the allegation was senseless, adding that it was impossible for anybody to attempt to rape during “exchange of gunshots.”

He said: “You will agree with me that a man cannot be aroused, let alone think of rape during exchange of fire. So, the allegation is senseless.”

The General Officer Commanding 1 Mechanised Division is billed to address reporters today on the controversial claims.

The IMN has demanded that the federal government comes clean on the whereabouts of their embattled leader, Sheikh El-Zakzaky and his wife. They fear that the authorities might be pulling a fast one on them, as it is rumored that the health of the sect leader and other Shiites in detention are deteriorating, due to a denial to access quality healthcare.

 

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