By N. M Mafara
Shababul Mahdi Students’ Forum of Lauhiyyah Islamiyyah School, Talata Mafara LGA of Zamfara state, Nigeria celebrated the birthday of Shaheed Naziru Usman.
The programme was held on Saturday, 20th Ramadan, 1437 by 5:00pm at the Conference Hall of Mu’allim Abubakar Damri’s residence.
Shaheed Naziru Usman (22) was born on Friday 20th Ramadan, 1414. Before he was assasinated, Shaheed Naziru was the President of the Shababul Mahdi Students’ Forum of the School. He was shot at Gyallesu by the Nigerian Army that attacked the residence of Sheikh Ibraheem Zakzaky (H) between 12th – 14th December, 2015, where they killed hundreds of people in Zaria.
The scholars that delivered lecture at the occasion include Dr. Ahmad Abubakar, Sheikh Abubakar Abdullahi Sokoto and Mu’allim Abubakar Damri.
While delivering his speech, Mu’allim Abubakar Damri said "Shaheed Naziru Usman was my younger brother, (the same father & mother) and I was his guardian and the one responsible for his education". He added that "the genesis of his staying with me in Talata Mafara; was arising from a request I made to our parents that I want Naziru to live with me to enable me sponsor his education and avail him with the opportunity of acquiring the knowledge and teachings of Ahlul Bayt (AS).
Fortunately, our parents obliged to the request, and after taking him, I enrolled him into the School of Mu’allim Muhammad Rabi’u, Lauhiyyah Islamiyyah School. Mu’allim Damri noted that "My father so much loved Shaheed Naziru, and on several occasions he used to say; Naziru had never offended me in his life. Likewise through out our stay with the Shaheed, I can testify to his impeccable character.
Mu’allim Damri added "before Shaheed Naziru was shot, he told people close to him that he had a dream that Army shot him three (3) times, and he added that if he was going to succeed in having the honour of becomming a martyr, he only wanted to be shot and killed and he do not want the Army to stab his body with knife the way they normally did to previous martyrs." Mu’allim Damri said he spoke with the Shaheed after he was shot and he told him that Nigerian Army have stabbed his body with knife in several places.
"I thank Allah that colleagues close to Shaheed Naziru told me that his last words were Kalimatus Shahada and Salawat to Muhammad wa aali Muhammad (AS)." Mu’allim Damri noted that he had completed all arrangements of sending Shaheed Naziru for further studies in Iraq; but unknowingly to them, Allah had ordained this exalted position for the Martyr.
Several people who spoke at the occasion testified that Shaheed Naziru was a hard-working, humble and obedient student.
While speaking with journalists, the School Headmaster, Mu’allim Muhammadu Rabi’u informed members of the press that during the attack carried-out by the Nigerian Army between 12th to 14th December, 2015 in Zaria, five (5) students of the school were killed. The affected students include Shaheed Naziru Usman, Shaheed Bilalu Hamza, Shaheed Umar Aliyu, Shaheed Iliyasu Rabi’u and Shaheed Aliyu Rabi’u.