Today (13/04/2016) the Nigerian police testified in the Judicial Commission of Inquiry (JCI) on the Zaria Massacre. The Nigerian police was represented by DSP Kenneth Dika. Among the questions the Head of JCI asked him was that which “weapons” did the Nigerian Army recover from members of IMN during the Zaria massacre and handed over to the Nigerian police?
And DSP Kenneth Dika mentioned the following:
1. Locally-made pistol (1 piece)
2. Two petrol bombs
3. Bow & Arrows (21 pieces)
4. Slings (40 pieces)
5. MTN Sim cards
6. Reflecting Jacket (1 pieces)
7. Phones (18)
8. Phone chargers (17)
9. Eye glasses (3)
Then the Head of JCI asked the police officer whether these “weapons” can destroy the residence of Sheikh Zakzaky and Zaria #Husseiniyya?
The police officer answered in the affirmative and pointed to the 2 petrol bombs!
The Head of the JCI then told him that all these “weapons” that you mentioned can not destroy that door! Everybody in the JCI burst out laughing…
It is important to note that the Nigerian Army during the Zaria massacre were armed with sophisticated weapons that included AK-47 Assault rifles, Sniper rifles, APC ammoured vehicles, Battle Tanks, Rocket Propelled Grenades (RPGs), General Purpose Machine Guns etc…..
The above “weapons” mentioned by the Nigerian police are not real weapons used in modern warfare, one can not fight an Army like the Nigerian Army that is armed with modern sophisticated weapons with such archaic impliments, Sim cards, phones, phone chargers and glasses! Bow & Arrows are still used in Africa for local hunting on the local level.
And this testimony by the Nigerian police debunked the mischievous insinuations by the Nigerian Army that they were “shot at” by IMN members and they only retaliated in “self-defense”. But the question is how can one called the brutal killing of close to 1000 unarmed Nigerian civilians as “self-defense”?
Finally, It remains for Nigerians to judge if the Zaria killings was a “clash” between the Nigerian Army and the IMN as the Nigerian regime have been promoting or it was a brutal massacre that involved heavily-armed Nigerian soldiers and defenseless and unarmed Nigerian civilians. And all the facts are now emerging of what actually took place in Zaria on the 12th, 13, & 14th December, 2015, and the general picture is becoming clearer. The fact remained that there was never a clash between the Nigerian Army and the IMN, what happened was a brutal slaughter by the Nigerian Army of Nigerian civilians and dumping their dead bodies in mass Graves.
Harun Elbinawi
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