Shiite sect faults exoneration of Buhari over El-ZakZaky’s detention

THE Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN) has faulted the exoneration of President Muhammadu Buhari by the Presidency over the continued detention of its leader, Sheikh Ibraheem el-Zakzaky.

Presidential spokesperson, Garba Shehu, had distanced Buhari from the ordeal of the Shiite leader in the aftermath of the clash between soldiers and the sect in Zaria, Kaduna State, last December.

But the sect contended that passing the buck of its leader’s detention to the Kaduna State government could not absolve the Buhari administration of alleged human rights abuse against el-Zakzaky.

A statement by the secretary of the sect’s media office, Mallam Abdurrahman Giwa in Kaduna, on Saturday, condemned the report of a Judicial Commission of Inquiry upon which the president’s exoneration was based, describing it as full of “contradictions and discrepancies.”

“The chairman of the Free Zakzaky Campaign explained that when President Buhari spoke on the Zaria massacre, the president gave his reason for attacking the IMN, claiming that the sect was running a government within government.

“Does this not tally with common sense that the presient is fully involved in the Zaria massacre of innocent unarmed civilians?

“It was clear that the Judicial Commission of Inquiry stayed away from pointing fingers at the Presidency when it became clear to them that the massacre was allegedly ordered directly by the Commander-in-Chief,” the statement said.