Shiites wounded in Nigerian military raid dying in detention, charges spokesman

The allegations come amid fears that the violent clashes between the Shiite group and Nigeria’s army will unleash a new Islamic threat in a country still battling Boko Haram militants.

At least 300 members of the Shi’ia sect were killed by the army, Human Rights Watch (HRW) has alleged, calling on President Muhammadu Buhari to halt human right abuses in the Nigerian military.

The Shiite Islamic Movement in Nigeria warned on Tuesday that Nigerian Shiites wounded in military raids are dying in military and police detention because they are being denied medical care. “At best it was a brutal overreaction and at worst it was a planned attack on the minority Shia group”.

The latest clashes, which saw the destruction of the sect’s convention centre in Zaria, Kaduna State, penultimate weekend, was sequel to a similar event past year which led to the death of dozens of the Islamic preacher’s followers, including three of his sons. A school and cemetery were bulldozed Monday, he said.

Spokesman Ibrahim Musa also said the Kaduna state government is destroying property of the movement, which has millions of followers.

It is impossible to say how many died in Zaria as the military sealed off the area for days. Ibrahim Musa, the IMN spokesman, said 40 of the wounded, including its leader Sheikh Ibrahim Zakzaky, risk losing their lives in police and military custody, where they are being denied medical treatment.

This is against the army’s position which said its confrontation with the Shia sect members who had erected a makeshift roadblock near a mosque resulted from an assassination attempt on the army chief of staff, Lieutenant General Tukur Buratai, whose convoy was passing by.

As many as 1,000 people may have been killed over December 12-14.

The Shiite group’s leader, Iran-influenced Ibraheem Zakzaky who dresses like an ayatollah, suffered four bullet wounds, according to the family doctor, and is among scores detained.