Group condemns religious extremism in Nigeria, rejects trial of soldiers

A Kaduna-based pressure group, popularly known as the Kaduna State Citizens for Peace, on Tuesday, during a mass rally condemned religious extremism in the country.

This was contained in a speech delivered at the protest by its National President, Mr. Richard Augustine, who stated that the group was opposed to religious extremism and, at the same time, rejected any attempt to persecute Nigerian soldiers involved in the army/Shi’ite clash when the same Sh’iite militias were still roaming the streets was to confirm insinuations in some quarters that the Islamic Movement of Nigeria had succeeded in instituting a government in Nigeria and, therefore, very soon their armies would now freely carryout their wicked actions on Nigerians unhindered.

According to him, the Shi’ite group embarked on a protest to the State Government House, but security operatives succeeded in blocking them on the Kashim Ibrahim House –

an indication that they were building up again, accusing outsiders of empowering them. Saying that “When the trouble comes it will be Kaduna State citizens that would be left to answer for the consequences. The sufferings of previous religious crises are still being borne by us. We still suffer today, even several years after fanatics scattered and destroyed our state. Whenever Kaduna is about to recover they will again spill blood. Each time the population starts uniting they will find division. Whenever we want to return to living as one they find problems for us. We have to end this and that is what must happen. Since December of last year, they have done everything to make the Shi’ite problem in Zaria come to other parts of our state. For several years Zaria people lamented as they suffered under Shi’ite occupation run by Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN). We have feared what happened in December 2015 was a matter of time and we even feared it would spread to other parts of our state”.

The group said that it demanded justice for soldiers who lost their lives during the Shiite-army clash in Zaria and, also, protest against the so-called request made by the Shi’ite lawyer, Mr Femi Falana (SAN), who is asking the state to persecute soldiers that liberated them from IMN occupation.  The so-called request is depending on the Judicial Commission of Inquiry that His Excellency, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai set up to investigate the Zaria clash.

It is the same commission that Falana, the leadership and membership of IMN, have refused to testify before. That they find it ridiculous that they want the same panel’s report to be used as a basis for trial. The trials they are demanding are meant to hold in Nigerian courts that IMN in their fanaticism had refused to recognise in the past. That they had reason to suspect that the whole call for trial was a prelude to bigger evils that could be unleashed on Kaduna State.

The group stated that there were strong indications that Iran has allegedly given Falana some money to bankroll an IMN rebellion. It is this part of the money that would be shared as daily allowance to protesters in the mayhem being planned. They warn that no amount of money would aid Shiite to return their government to Kaduna again. In his words “We have had a taste of the horror they dispensed and we definitely do not want a repeat”.