El-Zakzaky - ‘If FG wants peace they should tell us where he is,’ Shiites say

Shiite Muslims in Nigeria have urged the Federal Government to reveal the current location of their leader, Sheikh Ibraheem El-Zakzaky in order to ensure a peaceful resolution to the crisis between the group and the Nigerian Army.

The demand was made via a statement released by the group’s spokesperson, Ibrahim Musa on Monday, January 4, 2015.

It reads:

“The Islamic Movement as well as the general public are now seriously anxious. “Where is Sheikh Zakzaky and why has he been denied his constitutional rights to an attorney, bail and visitation”

“If the government is truly interested in finding a peaceful way out of this crisis the army initiated and executed, as the government wants the public to believe, it should by now have allowed an unimpeded access to Sheikh Zakzaky.”

“First and foremost, his first family members and leading brothers of the Islamic Movement and his doctor should have met him by now, since he was shot by the soldiers when they attacked his residence.”

“We are highly agitated by this seeming needless incommunicado the Sheikh has been placed in. The Federal Government should tell the public where Sheikh Zakzaky is, because rumours of various degrees are flying about his health.”

“… To our bewilderment, when a committee of National Supreme Council for Islamic affairs (NSCIA) met the Inspector General of police and demanded to see the Sheikh, he flatly refused.”

“Surprisingly while the Nigerian authorities had announced that he was detained and arraigned in Kaduna prison, the Controller of Kaduna Prisons, Abubakar Argungu, denied he was in their custody. So whom should we believe? This smacks of deceit, conspiracy and outright manipulation of the public’s view of the army’s massacre in Zaria.”

“We believe it is only when the Sheikh’s health condition is made public by the relevant authorities that the tension brewing among the populace will be doused.”

This comes after Iran said via its Foreign Ministry that it had taken necessary steps to warn Nigeria on the continued detention of El-Zakzaky.

Soldiers engaged the Shiites in a battle after the group allegedly attempted to assassinate Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buratai on Saturday, December 12, 2015.

The conflict escalated after soldiers surrounded El-Zakzaky's home and arrested him. The Shiites have claimed that about 1000 members of the group died during the confrontation.