Zaria Massacre: Over 200 Muslim Leaders To Meet In Abuja

The leadership of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) has summoned an emergency meeting over the massacre of members of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria in Zaria, Kaduna state.

Sa’ad Abubakar, the Sultan of Sokoto.

The NSCIA is the highest Islamic body in the country, under the leadership of Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, the Sultan of Sokoto.
Speaking with Premium Times, a source at the NSCIA revealed that about 200 top Muslim leaders were invited for the meeting.

“The meeting will hold at 4pm today at the National Mosque,” the source said.
Another source said that all elected officials of the NSCIA as well as all ex-leaders of the body will attend the meeting. Moreover, former governors, ministers, Inspectors General of Police, all former Chiefs of Army Staff, Chiefs of Air Staff, Chiefs of Naval Staff and Chiefs of Defence Staff who are Muslims were also invited.
“Those serving in the present administration are, however, excluded,” he added.

A top official of the NSCIA, who pleaded for anonymity, explained that the body called the meeting because it was “shocked by the silence of both the government and the human rights community over the massacre”.
“Where is our humanity, how can a people be so massacred and we all remain silent as if it is normal.
“Today it is the Shiite, tomorrow, it could be me or you,” he said.
The NSCIA official added that the meeting would likely set up a panel to investigate the killing of Shiites by the Nigerian army.
“We might also look at how to engage the government over this ugly incident,” he said.
Earlier this week, the Sultan of Sokoto issued a statement warning the Nigerian military authorities against plunging the country into another Boko Haram-like insurgency. He also expressed shock and sadness over the death of members of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria.
Meanwhile, the Nigerian Senate is set to commence investigation into the recent killings of Shiites in Kaduna. The investigation panel has senators drawn from the ad-hoc committees on Defence, Judiciary and National Security and Intelligence to unravel circumstances behind the incidence.