ZARIA TRAGEDY: A SUMMARY OF REACTIONS

Again, we are back our Inna lilLahi wa inna ilaiHi raji’un! (We are from Allah and unto Him we shall return). This incantation, called istirja’ in Arabic, is the exclamation of the afflicted as recommended by our noble Prophet Muhammad, upon whom be peace. So we repeat Inna lilLahi wa inna ilaiHi raji’un! Much has […]

Again, we are back our Inna lilLahi wa inna ilaiHi raji’un! (We are from Allah and unto Him we shall return). This incantation, called istirja’ in Arabic, is the exclamation of the afflicted as recommended by our noble Prophet Muhammad, upon whom be peace. So we repeat Inna lilLahi wa inna ilaiHi raji’un!
Much has been written and said about the recent events in Zaria. But most of what is available in the media is preponderantly the view from the side of government or its agents, such as the Nigerian Army which is a major protagonist in the matter. Perhaps the only way to be balanced in this discussion is to quote from non-state actors and organisations that may be seen to be fair.
As always, the attitude of this Column has always been, and will in sha Allah continue to be, that life, whoever owns it, is and should be sacrosanct. And, conversely, people and organisations must obey legitimately-enacted laws of the land and must not bring hardship to other citizens in the course of their activities, whatever they may be. As the saying goes, the rights of one terminate where the rights of another begin. Find presented today a representative summary of reactions:
NIGERIAN SUPREME COUNCIL FOR ISLAMIC AFFAIRS (NSCIA): An emergency meeting of the Expanded General Purpose Committee (EGPC) under the Chairmanship of His Eminence Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, Sultan of Sokoto, assessed the tragic incident that occurred in Zaria and resolved that an independent judicial commission of enquiry be set up urgently to look into the immediate and remote causes as well as the effects of the ugly incident. The all-inclusive commission should include the representatives of the NSCIA, other stakeholders and the National Human Rights Commission. All Muslims should exercise utmost restraint by avoiding utterances and actions that can further aggravate the situation. All Imams should utilise the opportunity of their Friday sermons to appeal to their congregations for peace and calm while the issues are being resolved. Muslims should also pray fervently for the stability, unity and progress of the country, as Nigeria is in dire need of prayer at this precarious time.
THE CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (CAN): We urge President Muhammadu Buhari to intervene and probe the killings to avoid the escalation of the crisis. Although CAN would not pre-empt any action to be taken by the government and the Nigerian Army, it would sue for peace between the two contending parties. We demand the setting up of a judicial panel of inquiry to establish the cause of the crisis and prevent a reoccurrence. We draw the president’s attention to the fact that similar circumstances as this led to the escalation of belligerence from the Jama’atu Ahlis Sunnah lid-Da’wati wal Jihad, also known as Boko Haram.
THE MUSLIM RIGHTS CONCERN (MURIC): MURIC strongly condemns this massacre of Nigerian citizens. We denounce the well-known belligerent posture of the Nigerian military towards unarmed civilians as manifested in this massacre. It is reckless, lawless and barbaric. It is wanton exhibition of lack of respect for human life and an open infringement on Allah-given fundamental human rights of defenceless Nigerians. It is impunity of the highest order. The Islamic Movement (IM)’s blockage of road is not excusable in the least, but it cannot warrant a massacre of this proportion. In comparison, the disruption of traffic caused by the IM in Zaria is even child’s play when compared with the notorious blockage caused by the Redeemed Church on Lagos-Ibadan Expressway which causes untold suffering to thousands of travellers. Is the Nigerian Army telling us that none of its vehicles have ever been caught in the traffic gridlock on Lagos-Ibadan expressway? Did the soldiers get down and start shooting members of the Redeemed Church who caused the gridlock? Something is seriously wrong here.
THE INTERNATIONAL CRISIS GROUP: There must be a full-scale inquiry into this extra-judicial killing of hundreds of Nigerian citizens in the city of Zaria. The proposed inquiry should identify any individuals whose actions triggered or aggravated the violence, and recommend appropriate legal sanctions. The inquiry should also make provisions for redress and compensation for the many innocent people who suffered human or material losses during the violence. President Muhammadu Buhari, who was silent in the first three days after the violence, must respond urgently and directly to the situation to re-assure all Nigerians, particularly those directly affected by the recent violence, that his government is committed to the rule of law and will not condone impunity by any group, civilian or military. The extra-judicial killing of Boko Haram’s leader Mohammed Yusuf in police custody was a major factor that tipped that group into a deadly insurgency, so the Buhari Administration must avoid a repeat of the 2009 blunder.
JAMA’ATU NASRIL ISLAM (JNI): The sordid state of insecurity in the nation is no longer news to every discerning mind. JNI, after following the events of Zaria as they unfolded, reiterates that life is sacred and must be treated as such. And restraint should always be exercised in the course of discharging one’s civil, official and/or religious duties. It is against this background that JNI commiserates with the people of Zazzau over the unfortunate incident and calls on all and sundry to take time and ponder over the many overwhelming challenges within the context of fairness and objectivity. Security agencies must operate within the internationally established convention of rules of engagement in the discharge of their duties. Excessive force should be avoided and lives be preserved and protected. Similarly, members of the public should always recognise and operate within the ambit of law and order as provided by the laws of the land as well as our religious texts.
 THE SOCIO-ECONOMIC RIGHTS AND ACCOUNTABILITY PROJECT (SERAP): We appeal to Christof Heyns, UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, to use his good offices to urgently investigate this attack by the Nigerian military, killing numerous people. SERAP is seriously concerned that the allegations of extra-judicial executions by the Nigerian military amount to serious violations of the right to life, guaranteed under Article 6 of the International Covenant  on Civil and Political Rights to which Nigeria is a state party. The right to life is so fundamental because without it all other rights would be devoid of meaning. The right to life ensures that every person has a right to be free from the arbitrary deprivation of life and places certain limitations on the use of force, including by the Nigerian military. SERAP is concerned that the attack by the Nigerian military may amount to disproportionate and excessive use of force and not militarily necessary as in the fight against Boko Haram. The Nigerian military should have done everything feasible to prevent the killings. ‘Everything feasible’ means precautions that are ‘practicable or practically possible taking into account all circumstances ruling at the time, including humanitarian and military considerations.’
SARKIN KANO MUHAMMAD SANUSI II: We cannot tolerate an organisation that makes its trademark the abuse and castigation of some Companions of the Prophet as well as some members of his family (may Allah be pleased with them all). We cannot continue to tolerate an organisation that not once, but twice, blocked the road against our late Emir [Ado Bayero], and at one time he had to give up the road and veer off into the School for Arabic Studies (SAS), because he was such a patient soul full of magnanimity. And to the security agencies: in your rules of engagement, are live bullets the first recourse in quelling an unrest? What happened to rubber bullets? What of teargas? What of water cannon? It is inexcusable to use maximum force when other deterrent means have not been used!
Inna lilLahi wa inna ilaiHi raji’un!