Mr Innocent Abgo of Human Rights Advocacy Center, Lagos – a non-governmental organization spoke on Lessons from the Resistance of Islamic Movement.
Mr Agbo delivered a speech at Merit House, Abuja on Saturday the 16th of December 2023 during a programme organized by the Islamic Movement in Nigeria to mark the 8th Anniversary of the Buhari massacre in Zaria.
He started by expressing dismay and surprise over what the military did in Zaria from Dec 12 to 15 2015 where over 1000 people were massacred saying that he has been looking for a reason why security forces should attack a religious gathering as such gatherings happen everywhere in the country.
He further says his clear understanding that the Islamic Movement is never a terror organisaion made him join the fight for their right as citizens adding that no violent or terror activity was ever recorded from the Islamic Movement up to the time when their Leader Sheikh Zakzaky was released. He expressed that he listened to the story of a mother who lost 5 children yet remained peaceful.
He lamented that there was no reason whatsoever for the military to attack a gathering simply because the army chief was passing through the road in Zaria.
Mr Abgo further said “I am calling for the prosecution of not only the army but also General Buhari on this massacre; we can not keep quiet when citizens are being killed by the army”
He lamented that Terrorism has been defined by oppressors just to continue oppressing others. He added that more than half of the people killed in Borno are innocents and this incident led to Boko haram.
Mr Agbo further says the killings in Borno, Zaria, End Sars in Lagos, and Biafra are carried out by Security forces and this made IPOB take up arms in the east.
He added that when Muslims are involved, it is called Terrorism but when others carry out violence and insurgents it is not termed as Terrorism!!!
The root cause of Boko Haram is injustice, Mr Agbo explained adding that the state pushes citizens to become terrorists due to injustice and poor governance.
He stressed that ‘we will keep on calling for justice, though, we know justice is never given in peace just like freedom’
Mr Agbo expressed further that the APC Government can never do justice to the Islamic Movement because it is still the same government of which Buhari is still part, and the Judiciary cannot. It is a lawless government as there are court pronouncements that the government did not obey; an example of this is the compensation that the government is yet to pay the Islamic Movement, he expressed.
Kidnappers are empowered through negotiation just like Boko Haram by the Government, he lamented.
He concluded by expressing that “to get justice, we need to get right people and this can be achieved when right people are voted into power”
