Shiites condemn police, soldiers for inability to bury 20 victims in Zaria

The Islamic group, Shiites, have condemned the action of the Police and soldiers stopping them from burying 20 members of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN) allegedly shot during the procession in Abuja.

According to IMN, in a statement by its spokesman, Mallam Ibrahim Musa, yesterday, said: “A combined team of mobile policemen and soldiers prevented the burial in Zaria of 20 members of the Islamic Movement killed by security agents in Abuja.”

Musa, who expressed shock at the action of the armed security men, added: “Members of the movement took 20 of the bodies for burial at Darur Rahma Cemetery, along Zaria-Jos road, early in the morning, but were met by stern-looking, battle-ready soldiers and policemen, who turned them back.

“On inquiry for the denial of the burial on a piece of land belonging to Sheikh Zakzaky, even as hundreds of members were buried there, the terse response was simply, “we are acting on orders from above.

“Earlier on Wednesday, six members of the movement killed at Zuba, Abuja, were buried at the cemetery. It, therefore, came as a surprise that today’s (yesterday) burial was refused by the security agents.”

Musa said alternative arrangements were made “to avoid further attack from the soldiers and the bodies were buried in the night after the soldiers left.

“So far, 49 members were confirmed to have been killed by security agents in Abuja during the four-day Arbaeen mourning procession, while 110 sustained varying degrees of bullet wounds.”