TheCable

Sa’ad Abubakar, the sultan of Sokoto, has warned the federal government not to allow the crisis between the military and the Islamic Movement of Nigeria go out of hand.

The monarch called on President Muhammadu Buhari to constitute a judicial commission of inquiry to look into the clash, recalling that the Boko Haram insurgency that the country is facing started in a similar manner.

He made the observations in a statement, signed on his behalf by Is-haq Oloyede, secretary-general of the Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA).

The statement reads: “While there are claims and counter-claims on what actually precipitated the latest heart-rending incident,‎ the NSCIA‎ urges the authorities to exercise restraint.

“The history of the circumstances that engendered the outbreak of militant insurgency in the past, with cataclysmic consequences that Nigeria is yet to recover from, should not be allowed to repeat itself.

“We urge the federal government to immediately constitute a judicial commission of inquiry to thoroughly unravel the immediate and remote causes of the current mayhem. Besides, the commission should also investigate the past incidents involving the movement so that justice can be done.

“The sanctity of human life is inviolable ‎in Islam and painstaking efforts should be made at all times to prevent bloodshed. In other words, life is sacred and the fundamental responsibility of government is to guarantee the security of life and property.

“While no group should be allowed to constitute law unto itself or arrogate unconstitutional powers to itself under any guise, the fact still remains that the position of law is clear when there is any breach. Therefore, as order is the first law of heaven, normalcy and restraint should be taken seriously.

“May the Almighty Allah guide our leaders right and guard us Nigerians against our own indiscretion at all times.”

The military and the sect led by Ibrahim Zakzaky have been trading blames over a crisis that broke out in Zaria, Kaduna state, on Saturday.

Sani Usman, spokesman of the army, alleged that followers of Zakzay attempted to assassinate Tukur Buratai, chief of army staff, an allegation that the movement denied.

Zakzay is reportedly in military custody, while some of his members were killed in the clash.

This is not the first time that the movement would clash with soldiers. Last year, some members of the movement, including two sons of Zakzaky, were killed during a similar crisis.

They are called Shi’ia or Shi’ite.