…reject trial of soldiers who clashed with Shi’ites in Dec 2015
Kaduna indigenes under the aegis of Kaduna State Citizens for Peace (KSCP), Tuesday, held a mass rally in the state metropolis, condemning religious extremism in the country.
This came as constitutional lawyer, Mr Femi Falana had last week, written the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, to arraign military personnel involved in the clash with Shi’ites, last year.
According to them, any attempt to persecute Nigerian soldiers when the same Shi’ite members are still roaming the streets is to confirm insinuations in some quarters that the Islamic Movement of Nigeria has succeeded in instituting a government in Nigeria.
In a statement by its National President, Richard Augustine, the KSCP said the activities of the Shi’ites members in the state has not been friendly adding that very soon, their “Armies” might freely carry out actions on Nigerians unhindered.
According to Augustine, the Shi’ite group embarked on a protest to the state government House but security operatives succeeded in blocking them along the Kashim Ibrahim House an indication that they are building up again, accusing outsiders of empowering them.
“In fact security operatives are stopping them from going to the government house for a protest but the leaders are discussing with a detachment of both Police and Civil Defence Operatives along the Kashim Ibrahim house,” the group said.
He said the sufferings of previous religious crises are still being borne by the citizens of Kaduna, adding, “We still suffer today even several years after fanatics destroyed our state. Whenever Kaduna is about to recover, they will again spill blood. Each time the population starts uniting, they will find division.
Whenever we want to return to living as one, they find problems for us. We have to end this and that is what must happen”. Augustine noted with emphasis that it was planned that the Shi’ite problem in Zaria comes to other parts of Kaduna state.
For several years, Zaria people lamented as they suffered under Shi’ite occupation run by Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN). We have feared what happened in December 2015 was a matter of time and we even feared it would spread to other parts of our state,” it said.
The group said it demands justice for soldiers who lost their lives during the Shi’ite-Army clash in Zaria and also protested against the so-called request made by the Shi’ite lawyer, Mr Femi Falana (SAN) who asked the state to persecute soldiers that liberated them from IMN occupation.
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