NHRC sets up panel to unravel Shiite-Buratai clash

Following the Chief of Army Staff Gen. Tukur Buratai’s petition to the National Human Rights Commission alleging violation of his rights by the Islamic Movement of Nigeria in Zaria December 14, the NHRC inaugurated a panel in Abuja yesterday to investigate the allegation.

Members of the five-man panel include Tony Ojukwu, who is its chairman, and Kabiru Elayo serves as secretary. Others are Abdulrahaman Yakubu, Halilu Adamu, and Babangida Labaran

Buratai had complained to the commission that his convoy was attacked by the IMN, the umbrella body for Shiite Muslims, which made an attempt on his life during their procession.

The confrontation led to a clash between his security details and the Islamic sect members, and hundreds of lives were lost in the incident.

“Pursuant to the receipt of this complaint from the military, the commission, in line with its mandate to receive complaints on human rights violations, to monitor and to investigate such allegations, with a view to making appropriate determination in the circumstances, has decided to constitute an investigation panel with a view to carrying out a holistic investigation into the alleged violations of human rights,” said Prof. Ben Angwe, executive secretary to the commission.

According to him, the panel, with its two-month mandate, will investigate to determine violations of human rights on any of the parties during the clash, recommend remedies, and restitution if necessary. It will also be making recommendations to the commission on how to prevent the recurrence of such incident.

Apart from the NHRC probe, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and Nigeria Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) have also urged the Nigerian government to investigate Zaria clash.

The NSCIA, particularly, has set up a seven-man contact committee to meet with all parties “in the interest of peace and security in Nigeria”.  On its own, CAN demanded the setting up of a judicial panel of inquiry to establish the cause of the crisis and prevent a reoccurrence.

“Similar circumstances as this led to the escalation of belligerence from the Jamā’at Ahl as-Sunnah lid-Da’wah wa’l-Jihād, also known as Boko Haram,” said CAN’s National Secretary Musa Asake.