It appears that soldiers have arrogated to themselves the right to determine when a citizen should die or continue to live; their thirst for blood is glaringly unquenchable. The horrible plan of the Nigerian Army to kill Sheikh Zakzaky’s followers during Arba’een Symbolic Trek in Abuja in October, 2018 was quite exposed prior to its execution, but yet soldiers went ahead and Killed more than 50 people and seriously injured hundreds.
Worst, up to this moment, there has not been an investigation instituted by any of those in the corridors of power on the extrajudicial killing of Nigerian citizens, such senseless and unnecessary killings, much less to bring the perpetrators to book. And now they have set their eyes on another carnage outrage.
We are privy to a piece of information that the Nigerian Army has formed a task force within the army aimed at killing free-Zakzaky protesters in Abuja with effect from Monday 15th July, 2019. Perhaps martial law would be, or had already been, imposed on Abuja city with Sheikh Zakzaky’s followers as prime targets. Is this not a dictatorial democracy?
The sting operation said to have been set out by the Guards Brigade of the Nigerian Army in the Federal Capital Territory is another sinister endeavour to clamp down on us. But, all that free-Zakzaky protesters, known to be unarmed and defenceless, are saying, lest the Army is deaf and mum, is that: Sheikh Zakzaky and his wife should be released immediately to tend to their seriously deteriorating health condition in a properly equipped medical facility abroad.
However, the Army’s phantom claim that the movement is armed is ridiculous, laughable and totally unwarranted; and nothing can be farther from the truth. Weapons are for the foolhardy and reckless; weapons have never solved any problems. Ours is a conceptual struggle, and it cannot be put off with a gun; gun can only make it stronger. Thus, incessant killings merely add more power to our elbow and make us more resistant to deterrence.
It is pertinent to inform the Army that this oppression planned to be carried out this week will further put the armed forces into more embarrassment as residents of the city centre and its environs are witnesses to and aware of the peaceful way and manner we conduct free-Zakzaky protests in every nook and cranny of Abuja. By the way, some of us are indigenes and residents of this city.
To those who are satisfied by being apathetic to these oppressive and infamous persecutions through which the Sheikh and his followers are passing, we say: tyrants are very unfriendly, and history bears witness. Thus, we want to use this opportunity to make an open invitation to domestic and international journalists to watch closely, cover the happenings in Abuja and report professionally to the public. The public deserves to know the reality of what is occurring here in Abuja.
Finally, we reiterate our demand for unconditional release of our Leader, Sheikh Ibraheem Zakzaky and his wife, Zeenah Ibraheem.
Abdullahi Muhammad Musa
Academic Forum of the Islamic Movement
15th July, 2019
