Group queries Amnesty”s report on Army-Shiite clash

The Centre for Social Justice Equity and Transparency (CESJET) has faulted Amnesty International’s report into last December’s clash between the Army and Shiites in Zaria as an attempt to destabilise Nigeria by undermining critical institutions. It called the AI report, “Unearthing the Truth: Unlawful Killings and Mass Cover-Up in Zaria”, published on Saturday a futile […]

The Centre for Social Justice Equity and Transparency (CESJET) has faulted Amnesty International’s report into last December’s clash between the Army and Shiites in Zaria as an attempt to destabilise Nigeria by undermining critical institutions.

It called the AI report, “Unearthing the Truth: Unlawful Killings and Mass Cover-Up in Zaria”, published on Saturday a futile attempt to divert attention from activities of Islamic Movement of Nigeria and portray Nigeria in bad light.

Addressing journalists in Abuja, CESJET executive secretary, Ikpa Isaac called for the probe of AI country director Mohammed Ibrahim for links to Islamic fundamentalism.‎

Ibrahim is a career diplomat born in Kano and educated in Zaria and was an official of the Organization of Islamic Conference and a diplomat in Libya.

The report focuses on the reported killing of controversial death of more than 340 men, women and children supporters of IMN in a clash with soldiers last December in Zaria.

Sharply different versions of the incident has been reported but CESJET said lines in AI’s report were taken straight out of articles that IMN sympathisers had written to hijack the narrative of what the real problem is.

“It is repeating this tired strategy of pitching Shia against Sunni and people of other faiths without bothering to place the disclaimer that IMN is an aberration that is working for foreign influence to terrorise Nigeria,” said Isaac.

“We do not expect AI to make such disclosure since it fits snugly into its agenda.

"We will not allow Amnesty International to make Nigeria its latest stop for the deaths it successfully plied in Libya, Yemen, Iraq, Syria and the former Yugoslavia, where it persistently called for humanitarian intervention that has now been proven to be the code word for invasions,” Isaac added.