Zaria Violence: Shiite leader apprehended as investigation continues

The General Officer Commanding 1 of the Mechanised Army Division in Kaduna yesterday confirmed that Ibrahim El-Zakzaky, the Shiite leader who the military authorities said mobilized his sect to attack the Chief of Army Staff on December 12, is now in custody.

“The Shi’ite leader and his wife are safe and in protective custody even though I do not know how many wives he has since it was reported that his wife is dead and in the course of time, he, himself will be speaking to his members,” Maj-Gen Adeniyi Oyebade said at a press briefing yesterday in Kaduna.

Oyebade admitted that his men, within their rule of engagement, used lethal weapons to secure the visiting COAS Gen. Tukur Buratai who was going to be mobbed by thousands of protesting Shiites blocking the roads shortly after President Muhammadu Buhari left Kaduna for Abuja on that December 12.

The president was in Kaduna to grace the convocation of the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, and Buratai was coming in from Dutse.

“He got to Zaria at about 14.30 hours (2.30pm) and the advance security team had cleared the road up to and including the city centre,’ said the GOC.

“But shockingly enough, members of the Shi’ite sect, lead by El-Zakzaky, blocked the Sokoto road. Because we thought that they were being overzealous, two senior officers in the COAS’ convoy came down from their vehicles appealing to these hoodlums to please clear the road so that the COAS can go ahead with his scheduled programme,” he narrated.

According to him, all the entreaties failed as the sect members kept mobilizing, and he saw their action as premeditated. “ It came to the quick conclusion of our security forces that the life of the COAS was under threat, and they had no option than to force their way through the blockage.” Oyebade said.

In the escalating violence that lasted through the weekend, 40 people were killed, while 20 got injured, including soldiers and sect members. “In that operation, I made one categorical statement to my men: we must within the rules of our engagement, make sure as much as it is feasible to bring in the leader of the sect alive,” he added.

And there were rumours on the weekend that El Zakyzaky’s wife and son died, too. The GOC, however, dismissed that, saying the woman is safe. “Even though I do not know how many wives he has since it was reported that his wife is dead and in the course of time, he, himself will be speaking to his members,” he said.

Since El-Zakyzaky is now safe in custody, the military chief said the violence has been de-escalated, and the police has begun enquiry into the incident.

The group began its protest following a suicide attack on its members doing their annual ritual of trekking called Arba’eem on November 27, killing 20 people in Kano.

Ibrahim Usman, the media officer of the 2015 Arba’een symbolic trek,  in a statement, said the incident occurred at Dakasoye village area of Garun Mallam local goverment Kano state on Friday, at around 2:30pm.And the attacker was one of the two suicide bomber Boko Haram deployed from the northeast.