We’ve No Confidence In The Judicial Panel Of Inquiry To Be Set Up By Kaduna State, Shiites Say

The Shiites Islamic sect yesterday blasted the governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, for allegedly making indicting pronouncements against the sect following the recent clash between the sect members and the Nigerian army in Zaria.

They, therefore, declared that they have no confidence in the judicial panel of inquiry to be set up by the state government to investigate the incident which led to the killing of many members of the sect and the arrest of their leader, Sheikh Ibrahim El-Zakzaky.

Governor El-Rufai had in a radio and television broadcast to the people of the state, on Thursday, announced the setting up of a panel to investigate the clash; just as the government imposed a ban on processions on public highways and other public places.

The governor said in the broadcast that the Kaduna State Government had learnt through reports from government organs and security agencies that there had been tension in parts of Zaria since Thursday, December 10, 2015, when members of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria were alleged to have attacked Gabari, a community on the outskirts of Zaria, in continuation of a dispute over a mosque.

“Like the previous attack, this second assault on Gabari also took three lives. The alleged bone of contention was that the El-Zakzaky movement wanted to take over a mosque they did not build in Gabari. The mosque had been sealed by the authorities following the collapse of the arrangements that had enabled various sects to amicably share its usage.

“In the last two weeks, the Islamic Movement of Nigeria has also illegally occupied federal roads. Over a period of four days, they took over one side of the federal expressway between Kaduna and Zaria, and the roads to Kano and Katsina. They entered schools along these routes, using them as rest and recreation points without notice or permission or any concern about the disruption of academic activities,” El-Rufai said.