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Government Probes Nigerian Troops Attack On Shiites In Zaria

Following last Friday’s deadly fracas between some soldiers and members of the Shiite Islamic group in Zaria, Kaduna State, the security agencies have begun an investigation.

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Following last Friday’s deadly fracas between some soldiers and members of the Shiite Islamic group in Zaria, Kaduna State, the security agencies have begun an investigation.

PRNigeria reports that the investigation is in connection with worries that there might be some elements that are determined to promote mayhem and cause confusion in the country.

The agency said on Saturday in Abuja that the government was especially disturbed because Shiites are fundamentally against the Boko Haram terrorists in the country, and its leader Sheik Ibrahim Zakzaky has been very vocal against the preaching of the fundamentalists.

It would be recalled that members of the Islamic sect on Friday were on an a peaceful procession to mark the annual Quds Day in solidarity with the plight of Palestinians under Israeli occupation and in protest of the continued bombardment of Gaza by the Israeli military when a convoy of soldiers were prevented from passing through.

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Although the group later allowed the soldiers’ passage, things however, degenerated when in the process, several gun shots were fired from within the crowd.

According to reports, the development infuriated the soldiers who then opened fire. At the end of the encounter, nine persons were reported dead while many others, including soldiers, were wounded.

The PRNigeria source said the new investigation is to determine those who fired the initial shot at the soldiers; if other mischief makers hid within the crowd to cause trouble between the military and the sect; and if the trouble was triggered to set Zakzaky up for possible attack in the mayhem that was bound to follow.

Top government officials and military authorities are worried that public figures and religious leaders speaking up against the atrocities of Boko Haram have being targeted in recent times.

General Muhammadu Buhari, Shehu Dahiru Bauchi were targeted in two separate bombing incidents in Kaduna during the week, while Sheik Adam Albani, a vociferous critic of Boko Haram, was murdered earlier.

The source also expressed the unhappiness in government and military circles about the propensity of a section of Nigerians to blame members of the security agencies whenever issues arise and wondered why these elements would rather not appreciate the efforts of those who are daily laying down their lives to protect fellow citizens.

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