TheCable

The Islamic Movement of Nigeria(IMN), comprising members of the Shi’ia sect in Nigeria, has rejected the report of the judicial commission of inquiry set up by the Kaduna state government.

Nasir el-Rufai, governor of Kaduna state, had set up the panel to investigate the December clash between soldiers and members of the sect.

The sect claimed that over 1,000 of its members were killed in the clash, but the media reported 347 deaths on the part of the Shi’ites, and some causalities for soldiers.

But describing the panel as biased, IMN said it decided to decline its invitation because it would not get fair hearing.

The group said most of its members were those who had grouse with its movement and would not hesitate to oppose it whenever they had the opportunity.

“On the setting up of the judicial commission of inquiry, the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN) made it clear that what the Kaduna state government set up was an indictment commission and not a judicial commission of inquiry and we feel vindicated given the events and issues that have been unraveled since the submission of the report of the judicial commission of inquiry,” IMN said in a statement signed by Abdulrahman Abubakar, chairman of Free Zakzaky Campaign Committee.

“It is on record that the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN) boycotted the sitting of the judicial commission of inquiry and we stated our reasons for so doing and we restate those reasons which we consider as valid:

“The Kaduna state government deliberately appointed persons that have consistently maintained that the Islamic Movement in Nigeria should be banned and its schools and facilities closed down and confiscated by the government. These individuals saw their membership of the commission as a golden opportunity to actualize their pre-determined position against the movement.

“The government also appointed security agents to the commission to protect the interests of their colleagues against the movement and made no attempt whatsoever to appoint representatives of the movement and independent human rights groups and organisations. For the movement, these individuals were automatically disqualified and should have disqualified themselves as they are interested parties and cannot exercise independent judgment on a matter they had taken a position on.”

IMN accused the Kaduna government of conniving with the military to bury over 1000 of its members.

“The Kaduna state government also connived with the Nigerian army and buried over 1000 of our members without affording us an opportunity to bury them in accordance with Islamic Injunctions. The Kaduna state government broke its own laws in carrying out the burial,” the group said.

“While the Kaduna state government claimed that the judicial commission of inquiry will be fact finding and determine the immediate and remote causes of the incident, it had already made up its mind that the Islamic Movement in Nigeria is guilty and charged over 400 of our members to court. It had to drop the charges against minors and juveniles based on pressure from the Nigerian people and the international community.

“The charges against our members are still going on in 5 different High Courts in Kaduna State and all of them have been denied bail on grounds that over 250 of them allegedly killed one soldier and no single security or military officer is facing trial for the death of over 1000 members of the IMN.

“The Islamic Movement in Nigeria is therefore convinced that the Judicial Commission of Inquiry delivered on its mandate of returning a verdict that will lead to the unconstitutional banning of the Movement and its activities.

“In rejecting the report of the Judicial Commission of inquiry, we will demonstrate from their own findings and conclusions that they executed a pre-determined mandate and returned a pre-determined verdict.”