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Kaduna Markaz Attack: Justice delayed, killer soldier identified

By Ibrahim Usman
Barely a month after a convoy of armed soldiers launched a murderous offensive at the Kaduna Markaz, residence and centre of Malam Muhammad Mukhtar Sahabi, Ameer of the Kaduna zone of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria under His Eminence Shaikh Ibraheem Zakzaky, no justice seems to be on sight, as the killer Captain Sini, whose picture appears above, is seen going about without sign of remorse.

Shortly after the incidence, the Nigerian military in Kaduna had assured to ensure justice takes its course, and there were reports that Captain Sini was under interrogation.

However, close sources reveal the opposite, as Captain Sini soiled with innocent blood on his hands, is seen going about his normal business around town in a green Peugeot 406 salon car, with registration number MCH 673 AA.

 Synopsis of the mayhem

It was on April 2, 2015, Monday around 4.45 pm, Captain Sini led a convoy of armed soldiers and stormed Kaduna Markaz, residence of the Ameer of the Kaduna zone of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria under Shaikh Ibraheem Zakzaky, opened fire and killed one, while 4 were injured.

The Brother killed was Umar Abukakar, 25.

The soldiers in a while Hilux van, accompanied by 2 other army-coloured vans, with their commandant named Captain Sini stormed the residence and arrested one Brother, Abu Khumaini told them it was a restricted residential area, not for vehicular passage.

While this was going on, armed soldiers in the other 2 army-colored vans watched at far distance.

Eye-witness Account

“After long verbal exchange, and for peace, we however had to shift the parked cars to let them pass. They passed by the residence and were heard saying, ‘This is the Boko Haram enclave’. One of the said, ‘but they are not carrying arms’. They passed and later turned back. When they came close to us, they said I lied to them when I said there was no passage. They insisted that I must go with them, and I objected.” narrated Abu Khumaini.

As they were dragging Abu Khumaini into the car, one of them stabbed him with a knife (bayonet) at the abdomen. It was at that instance that another Brother Muhammad Awwal K. Mashi, intervened as they dragged the Abu Khumaini into the van to the main road.

“When they insisted on taking Abu Khumaini with them, I said we would not allow it as we did not who they were. They did not identify themselves. Besides, he did no offence. I heard the commander say, ‘You cannot stop us from taking him with us, shoot anyone on sight’. It was then Brother Haruna Abubakar came to the rescue just behind me, and Captain Sini shot him at close range on the chest. The other 4 Brothers rushed to scene, he fired at them indiscriminately, while the soldiers opened continued to shoot in the air in order to disperse people watching or scare off anyone that dared come to the rescue”, said Awwal Mashi.

While the shooting lasted, the arrested and stabbed Brother saw an opportunity and jumped out of the van, before it took off at full speed. The Hilux van took strategic positions with the two other Hilux vans, Operation Yaki, at the Mangwaron Danwaiya roundabout leading to the Markaz.

The issue was reported to the DPO of the Tudunwada Kaduna Police Station, who advised that the corpse be taken for medical cross-examination.

Shaheed Umar Abubakar was taken to Saint Gerald Hospital Kaduna on Tuesday, where he was certified shot and dead by a doctor before he was buried at the Bashama Road cemetery.

Face of the killer soldier and his bullets

 

The dead and the injured

 

The funeral rite