Members of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria have described their indictment by the Judicial Commission of Enquiry into the December 12, 2015 clash between them and the Nigerian Army as biased and full of distortions.
Reacting to the report that was released by the Kaduna State government, spokesman for the Shiites, Ibrahim Musa, wondered why the commission indicted the group as being responsible for the bloody clash in Zaria, whereas their leader, Shiekh Ibrahim El Zakzaky was never given the opportunity to appear before the commission and defend himself.
Mr Musa said that the failure of the commission to invite El Zakzaky to state his own side of the story during the sittings, or visit him in Abuja where he is being detained for the past seven months, clearly showed that the panel was not fair to the movement from the beginning.
He also criticised part of the report that recommended the trial of their members involved in the killing of a soldier, as well as the recommendation that their lands in some part of Zaria which were acquired illegally should be revoked by the Kaduna State government.
The Shiites’ spokesman further demanded for the immediate and unconditional release of their leader from detention.
He maintained that the commission’s report would not stop the movement from pursuing its litigation against the Army and Federal Government until justice was done to them.