ICJ set to investigate clash between Shiites, Army in Nigeria
The International Court of Justice, ICJ has made an official declaration to investigate the clash between the Nigerian Army and the Shiite Islamic movement. The global judicial body is acting in response to a petition filed by the Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN), who accused the Nigerian Federal Government of carrying out gruesome massacres against its members.
The process of the investigation which was already in place and was obviously cemented by the clash between the Army and Shiite protesters about two weeks ago, has been set in motion as officials from the headquarters of ICJ in the Hague, Netherlands visit Nigeria to gather information from the Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), Abubakar Malami, and assess the sect’s activities.
It was alleged that at least 53 members of the group were killed in the most recent clash with soldiers in Abuja. The tragic incident is said to have been caused by a protest that turned violent, where the Shi’ite members were demanding for the unconditional release of their jailed leader, Sheik Ibrahim El Zakzaky. They argued that he was being detained against a court order in which he was initially granted bail.
While clashes between security forces and the sect have been recurring since 2015, the Army has maintained that they are ensuring that there is no formation of any other terrorist group in the country.
The Shiite group has reiterated that it is not a terrorist organization, as it blames the clashes on injustice and abuse of human rights, accusing President Buhari of fighting a proxy war with them.
“Even if Buhari government decides to gun down 99 per cent of our members, IMN will never contemplate taking arms against anybody, as it is forbidden in our religion to take human life which we consider sacred. Our allegiance is to God and Nigeria,” one of Shiites’ leaders, Muhammad Ibrahim Gamawa said.
