El-Zakzaky: Before it’s too late

Back in 2009, late President Umaru Musa Yar’adua ordered the search and arrest of Muhammad Yusuf, one of the most notorious and dreaded sect leaders of Jama’atil Ahlil Sunnah Lidda’ awati Wal Jihad fondly called Boko Haram. Yusuf was subsequently captured alongside some of his followers that extremely believed in his ideology. After his arrest […]

Back in 2009, late President Umaru Musa Yar’adua ordered the search and arrest of Muhammad Yusuf, one of the most notorious and dreaded sect leaders of Jama’atil Ahlil Sunnah Lidda’ awati Wal Jihad fondly called Boko Haram.
Yusuf was subsequently captured alongside some of his followers that extremely believed in his ideology. After his arrest by the army in Maiduguri, he was brought to the Nigerian police at where the whole problem started. The brutal killing of Yusuf and his believers without reasonable questioning or trial by the security agencies gave birth to our biggest problem of the day. This ruthless killing of Yusuf by our security operatives is the major reason the Boko Haram terrorists retaliated, attacking police stations, barracks, markets and other strategic locations.
Recently, in December 13 last year, a group of Shiites Islamic Movement who were on unlawful procession was controversially attacked by the Nigerian army after series of argument with the Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Brutai in Zaria. This attack, according to Human Rights Watch, claimed at least 300 members of the Islamic sect.
Following the incident, the Nigerian security forces stormed the house of the sect leader Sheikh Ibraheem El-Zakzaky shot and arrested him. Since then El-Zakzaky has been in detention, his whereabouts and his health still remain unknown.   
My fundamental concern here is that, if El-Zakzaky is still alive and healthy, let him be tried by the court of law not by improper detention for more than 70 days.
Let us not make the same mistake we did during Muhammad Yusuf saga. Yusuf was unreasonably killed without trial which we are still paying the price. To stop further casualty, appropriate measures need to be taken, El-Zakzaky should be tried, if he is guilty for any offence then he can jailed.
My greatest fear is that, if today El-Zakzaky dies in the hands of our security operatives without any fair trial or justice then am afraid this people (Shiites) who claimed they are unarmed will unavoidably be armed. They can form their own militia to embark on a revenge mission considering how the security of the country is; people are hiding under the canopy of  Boko Haram and committing atrocities here and there.   
If you will check the philosophy of this sect, they are entrenched in radicalism, they are strict minded, most of their belief are of the Arab world who can commit suicide like it’s a child’s play. The Shiites originates from Republic of Iran and Iraq who are some of the strongholds of terrorism in the world. This point can be vividly traced when the Army attacked the house of El-Zakzaky who at the time was making a call to the Iranian Government seeking for help on the unfolding attack by the army on him.
I am not pro Shiites, am not pro Zakzaky, am not pro terrorism but am pro peaceful coexistence, am pro fair trial and due process; and pro anti-terrorism. Let El-Zakzaky be tried and convicted by a court of law.
Abdullahi Yusuf Tela, writes this piece from Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University, Lapai, Niger State.