Zaria clash: Islamic groups differ with Shi’ite
By; Buhari B. Bello, Jos.
Against the backdrop of recent events in Zaria, a leaders of Islamic organizations have condemned in strong term the attack on the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Tukur Yusuf Burutai, even as they differ with the Shi’ite group in the country.
In a press conference today in Jos, deputy leader of the group in Plateau, who is a member of national committee on education of the movement, Sheik Ibrahim Suleiman Galadima explained that the attack on General Burutai was “a ploy by high level Military Officers and some traditional rulers in Zazzau Emirate Council who want to crush the activities of the movement”.
He said that “the attack was a conspiracy and a pre- planned agenda to destroy the image of the movement”.
He lamented that the continuation of extra-judicial killing of its members by the Nigerian government.
He called on the government to set up an independent panel of inquiry to investigate the incident and make its findings public.
Galadima denied the involvement of members of Shi’ite movement in the attempted assassination of the COAS, adding “We believe that the nature and style of the arrival of advance military team to the area speaks volumes of hidden agenda against the movement and are questionable.
“We are equally calling on General Burutai and the military to investigate the incident within their folds”.
He also called on international human right groups to intervene and seeks redress for the victims and “as many innocent people are unjustifiable killed and others severely injured”.
Debunking the footages being used in the media alleged to be the members of the movement, he said “the footages peddle out in the media are pictures of some miscreants carrying weapons and not our members”
However, the secretary of Jama atul Izatul Bid’a Wa Ikamatul Sunnah in Plateau State, Shiek Alhassan Sa`eed has lamented the activities of the group for “disregard to the constituent authority and insisting on doing what they wished”.
He condemned their violent method in carrying out protest over their grievances even when the group is wrong.
He said the group are showing their hatred to Prophet Muhammed and his traditions without due regard to the feelings of other Muslims in the country.
According to him, they are wrong in most of their approaches thereby provoking other Muslim in the country.
He called on the government never to allow the movement of the group who are opposed to many Nigerians.
