President Muhammadu Buhari should urgently order full scale investigation into the killings of members of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria sect in Zaria by the Nigerian Army. Senator Shehu Sani (APC, Kaduna Central) said in a statement yesterday that the attacks on the homes and members of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria, “is nothing but an indiscriminate and disproportionate use of force by the military.
“Silence and neutrality to this amount to nothing but aiding and abetting a clear and undisguised abuse of fundamental human rights,” the senate committee deputy chairman on foreign affairs said.
“It’s absolutely wrong for the members of the group to deny the convoy of the Chief of Army staff the right of passage. However, killings and arson is not the legal, civilized and proportionate response to “road blockage,” he said.
“The Islamic movement and their leader have repeatedly denounced terrorism and insurgency. The Zaria killings was an avoidable tragedy. The use of force must always be the last resort and not the first resort and must be done within the principles of international best practices of rules of engagement,” he said.
“Nigeria is a democratic state, the professional conduct of the apparatus of the state must be done within the ambit of the law and respect for fundamental rights of the citizenry,” he said.
“Any excuse to circumvent human rights, is a step towards tyranny. Northern Nigeria have in the last seven years been neck deep in violence and soaked in blood opening a new front will not augur well for the peace and stability of Nigeria,” the lawmaker said.
By Ismail Mudashir, from Dail Trust Newspaper