Army-Shiite Clash: Panel May Commence Proceedings without Zakzaky

Army-Shiite Clash: Panel May Commence Proceedings without Zakzaky

The non-appearance of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN) also known as Shiite seems to have stalled proceedings of the Judicial Panel of Inquiry set up by the Kaduna State Government to look into the clashes between the movement and the Nigerian Army on December 12, 2015, in Zaria.

Today, the commission adjourned its sitting for the fourth time following the inability if the IMN to submit its memorandum to the panel which had already spent four out of the six weeks it is expected to complete its assignment.

Counsel to the Shiite had demanded to see the leader of the movement, Sheikh Ibraheem Zakzaky, who has been in detention since the clashes which led to the death of many people. 

The movement had insisted that only Zakzaky could brief the lawyers about what happened before presenting their memorandum.

The lawyers were said to have made several visits to the police in Abuja seeking to see the Shiite leader, but their efforts were said to have been fruitless.

At today's sitting, apparently out of frustration, the commission said it would not wait any longer for the Islamic group to submit its memorandum having given the movement ample opportunities to do so without success.

‎The commission however made the last adjournment  till March 21 to enable counsel to the IMN get  access to Zakzaky,  as demanded.

Chairman of the commission, Justice Muhammadu Lawal Garba, said the commission was running out of the six-week time allotted to it by the state government, stressing that yesterday's adjournment would be the last whether IMN has access to its leader or not for proper proceedings to commence.

He urged the IMN counsel to submit their memorandum before or on March 21, as the commission would go ahead with the proceedings on that day to hear the memorandum presented by the Nigerian army‎.

"We are giving another opportunity to allow IMN to see their leader because the application for adjournment is supported by all the parties appearing before the panel," Justice Lawal said.

‎Explaining their frustration in having access to Zakzaky, lead counsel to the IMN,  Yunus Ustaz Usman (SAN), told the commission  that all efforts made to get access to the leader of the  movement proved abortive.

He said prior to yesterday's sitting, the state Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Amina Dyeris-Sijuwade,  was contacted to facilitate access to Zakzaky.

Usman added that the commissioner had contacted the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami,  to ease access to the IMN leader, but the effort yielded no results.

 Usman had appealed to the commission to give the IMN another opportunity by adjourning to another date in order to try again if the IMN leader could be accessed.