Imbroglio of Zaria and consequence of negligence

The Zaria crisis is an avoidable scenario which has been dastardly breached in the last 48 hours. The issue is about the slogan of the COAS “Operation Lafiya Dole”. I was captivated by stories on the extent of brutality as displayed by the Nigerian Army, although the Shiites are to blame for barricading the roads […]

The Zaria crisis is an avoidable scenario which has been dastardly breached in the last 48 hours. The issue is about the slogan of the COAS “Operation Lafiya Dole”.
I was captivated by stories on the extent of brutality as displayed by the Nigerian Army, although the Shiites are to blame for barricading the roads whenever they are performing any of their rituals. Coincidence brought the COAS convoy and the aftermath is now history, only God knows what will happen next.
In 2009, Maiduguri Borno State experienced similar uncalculated misfortune, when the Boko Haram Sect attacked the constituted authority, the excessive force used then caught the attention of Nigerians and the international community, while the then Nigerian Government were so deaf to justify the operation and brought the culprits to book, Mohammed Yusuf was slain without charges. Then the penury and fury began in Borno State, for almost seven years, the people of Borno, Yobe and Adamawa have tested the bitterness of insurgency which resulted to the loss of lives and billions of Naira. We all witness the penury and we are earnestly praying for the stoppage of the terrorism in the North East, Nigeria. Now another setback is manifesting from the North Central, which could be avoided.
The quagmire of the Zaria incident that reportedly resulted in the loss of lives of hundreds Shiite followers is the most unfortunate thing to happen, as even the Army itself has to describe it as the most unfortunate event to occur at this material moment. The Army could have avoided such a nightmare and today we may not be here trying to justify whether the actions of the COAS was lawful or not. We all know that the Shiite sect in Nigeria never respect the rights of other Nigerians whenever they are doing any of their rituals. But that does not signify an act like what happened on Saturday that preceded to the massacre of Sunday.
The COAS as public servant could have done all the necessary diplomacy to avoided the bloodshed, although so many pictures flying around the social media, shows pictures of some senior military officers, definitely from the COAS convoy trying to reason with those youth like Shiite hurras who unfortunately refused to adhere with the Military officers that were trying to reason for the passage to the COAS.
The Shiite have always been controversial for the past 37 years of the movement’s existence in Nigeria, we have seen many of the clashes between them and the authorities. We are advocating the gospel of peace in Nigeria, the Nigerian Army are yet to quell the Northeast insurgency which is an ideology war, we cannot afford to have another bloodstream in another ideology war in the North West, at the end it is the North that will suffer the consequences of all the negligence.
The war of words, the blame games that preceded the Zaria incident cannot bring any solution to the avoidance of reoccurrence of the Boko Haram in Kaduna, that is not what many of us are praying for.
Many see that the COAS had used a brutal approach to confront the situation, it is like he was thinking about Sambisa when he gave the order, the sect leader is nowhere to be found, no any press statement about him being arrested by the Military, we already know about the death of the leader’s aides and his 2iC Mahmood Turi. The reasons given by the Armed forces, that the sect try to assassinate the COAS must be investigated, the killing must be investigated also, the President must never take this lightly, the excessive force use was uncalled for.
The consequence is fearsome which we cannot accept. Nigerians are just watching the scenario, and this not the right time to have another terrorism.
Usman Mohammed Chenche Lapai.
Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University, Lapai-Niger State, 07060815443
[email protected]