The Sultan of Sokoto, Sa’ad Abubakar has advised the federal government to ensure that the crisis between the military and the Shi’ite Islamic Movement of Nigeria does not go out of hand.
In a statement signed on his behalf by Is-haq Oloyede, secretary-general of the Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, (NSCIA), the monarch asked President Muhammadu Buhari to constitute a judicial commission of inquiry to look into the clash, recalling that the insurgency that the country is facing started in a similar manner.
The statement reads:
“While there are claims and counter-claims on what actually precipitated the latest heart-rending incident, the NSCIA urges the authorities to exercise restraint.
The history of the circumstances that engendered the outbreak of militant insurgency in the past, with cataclysmic consequences that Nigeria is yet to recover from, should not be allowed to repeat itself.
We urge the federal government to immediately constitute a judicial commission of inquiry to thoroughly unravel the immediate and remote causes of the current mayhem. Besides, the commission should also investigate the past incidents involving the movement so that justice can be done.
The sanctity of human life is inviolable in Islam and painstaking efforts should be made at all times to prevent bloodshed. In other words, life is sacred and the fundamental responsibility of government is to guarantee the security of life and property.
While no group should be allowed to constitute law unto itself or arrogate unconstitutional powers to itself under any guise, the fact still remains that the position of law is clear when there is any breach. Therefore, as order is the first law of heaven, normalcy and restraint should be taken seriously.
May the Almighty Allah guide our leaders right and guard us Nigerians against our own indiscretion at all times.”
It would be recalled that the military and the Shi’ite sect led by Ibrahim Zakzaky were involved in a clash that broke out in Zaria, Kaduna state on Saturday. Several members of the sect were killed as a result.
Yesterday, the Army confirmed that the leader of the sect, Sheikh Zakzaky, and his wife were in custody and would be allowed to speak to their followers soon.
This is not the first time that the movement would clash with soldiers. Last year, some members of the movement, including two sons of Zakzaky, were killed during a similar crisis.
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