Ten years after the fight between soldiers and members of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN), Sheikh Ibraheem El-Zakzaky, the group’s leader, warned that former President Muhammadu Buhari will have to answer for what he did on the day of judgment.
Reports from Daily Trust say that the late president was in charge when what was supposed to be a small disagreement between soldiers and sect members turned into a full-blown crisis that resulted to the banning of IMN.
The fight started when IMN members stopped the vehicle of former Chief of Army Staff Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai, who was on his way to a passing-out ceremonial in Zaria, Kaduna State.
The soldiers had pushed the worshippers away, and they fought back.
According to Human Rights Watch, the military carried out operations against IMN in the days that followed, killing 300 members of the sect and burying them in secret.
A judicial committee of investigation backed by the government said that more than 1,000 people, most of whom were IMN members, died in the crisis.
Later, El-Zakzaky and his wife, Zeenat, were arrested and held in jail until 2021, when a Kaduna State High Court let them go and dropped all allegations against them.
At a news conference to mark the tenth anniversary of the terrible event, El-Zakzaky criticized both the Buhari administration and the governments that came after it for not releasing the report of the judicial panel of investigation or giving any sort of recognition or compensation to the families who were affected.
“Nothing has happened. They don’t even say that anything happened. Nothing came of it, even though a judicial panel of inquiry was set up and gave its report on September 7, 2016. The president at the time claimed he was paying close attention to the issue. “But he finished his first and second terms, and they said nothing,” he continued.
He went on to say that the current administration, which had promised to fix the problem and pay victims, had also been “totally silent.”
When asked if he had forgiven Buhari, Zakzaky said, “It’s easy for Buhari.” He is no longer living. On the Day of Judgment, we will see each other again. I recall that one of his ministers called me when I was shot and bleeding. I told him to say hello to him. We will see each other on the Day of Judgment. The equation of Buhari is done.
The IMN leader added that the government should deal with the “injustice” on its own, without being told to do so.
“We don’t have to ask.” He said, “They know they did something wrong.”
Zakzaky said that the massacre did not work to suppress the IMN.
He said that the effort to “destroy an ideology with a gun” simply made the movement’s cause stronger around the world.
He talked about protests around the world that happened after his arrest, adding that the event “made our cause known to the whole world.”
When asked if he would be willing to talk to the authorities, he answered, “Why not?” They realize that talking is possible. But deeds are different.
He further said that the IMN had previously launched legal action at the international level through the Islamic Human Rights Commission.
“All the facts, pictures, videos, and speeches are there.” He answered, “The court will look at it one day.”
El-Zakzaky said again that the movement would keep going even though there were limits on public gatherings and event centers.
“Even if they don’t want to see us, they will still see us.” He said, “They will still hear us even if they don’t want to.”
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