The leader of Nigeria’s Shiites Sheikh Ibraheem Zakzaky of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria, whose three sons were killed yesterday Nigerian troops in Zaria said the Shiites were armless and never armed themselves in their history.
Zakzaky said in a brief telephone interview: “We were armless during our procession, and they shot us after we ended our procession, the whole world knew our history, we have never armed ourselves. We are waiting for the lies that they will tell.
“We were just helpless while the soldiers shot us with impunity; we have children, women and even the aged in our procession. We had this procession in many parts of the country, and nothing happened and for almost 40 years we have been doing this.
“They shot our brothers and sisters; my son Mahmud, who came from a university in Beirut, was shot on his stomach and died on the way to the hospital. They came back and arrested three of my sons alive and killed two while in their custody. How did they arrest my children without resistance? Our submission to the Nigerian authority is not in doubt hence they took them away. And so what lies are they telling?
“They took Ahmad, Hameed and Ali with them; Ahmad and Hameed are chemical and neurotics engineering students in China. It was my fourth son there, Ali, who had a gun wound that confirmed that the soldiers have killed his two brothers, and they were all arrested alive.”
He also said that, the action of the soldiers was premeditated and clearly clearly extra-judicial killing: “If you are accusing someone of committing an offense, you must carry out prosecution according to the law of the land, but why kill people with impunity? Even if you say we have breached the law, then you must look for the leader and try him in an open court. What have we done?
“My appeals to all our brothers and sisters to be calm and I will soon address the press and you will receive our stand, thank you and wish you the best in New York.”
