Army/Shi’ite clash: Kaduna govt under fire
– Human rights group, Access to Justice has called for the prosecution of indicted soldiers in Army/Shi’ite clash
– The group says Kaduna government was unfair to members of the Islamic sect in the way it handled the matter
– The group also says all should be equal before the law in order for justice to be properly served
IMN leader, Sheikh Ibrahim El-zakzaky
A human rights group named Access to Justice has accused Kaduna state government of being unfair to members of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN) in its handling of the clash between them and the Nigeria Army.
The group said in a statement issued on Monday, August 1, said the government went ahead to prosecute hundreds of the sect’s members while it let indicted military officers go free.
READ ALSO: Unbelievable! APC applauds Ben Bruce, Omokri, read why
In the statement, which was issued by its Executive Director, Joseph Otteh, Access to Justice said:
“It is extremely disquieting that the Kaduna government would rather arrest and prosecute over 200 persons for the death of one soldier, than charge one soldier for the death of well over 348 residents of Kaduna state.
“The lives of hundreds of IMN members who were brutally killed by Nigerian soldiers are worth protecting the same way the life of one soldier is worth protecting.
“A democratic, constitutional government means that the government is not at liberty to prefer one life above another, or to make judgments on the value of each person’s life based on ethnicity, faith, status or institutional affiliations, but must offer equal protection to Nigerian citizens.
“It means that the government must provide equal protection of the law to all citizens and, therefore, hold accountable in equal measure, any persons who have caused or contributed to the loss of any life.”
READ ALSO: President Buhari makes another appointment and he is not from the north
To correct the anomaly, Access to Justice urged the Kaduna state government to prosecute indicted military officers with the same vigour it did with members of the IMN.
“The government cannot determine which life is worthy of protection and whose is not.
“It means the government is not at liberty to let some citizens live above the law and outside of it, and compel others to live under it. It means that there are no second class citizens of Nigeria.
“It means that justice must be equally and evenly rationed to all citizens alike, whether they are soldiers or civilians.
“Unfortunately, the Kaduna state government, by prosecuting only members of the Shiite movement for the death of one soldier and remaining taciturn over the countervailing claims of justice for the deaths of hundreds of Shiite members shows it has taken sides, not only in the conflict, but in how to account for the horrendous loss of lives in that conflict.”
The post Army/Shi’ite clash: Kaduna govt under fire appeared first on Nigeria News today & Breaking news | Nigerian newspapers 24/7.