The recent Soldiers/Shiites’ clash in Zaria is a worrisome development. It has come at a time when Nigerians are almost heaving a sigh of relief over the deadly Boko Haram attacks that seem to be abating. In fact, these Soldiers/Shiites’ clashes have become a recurring episode in our national life. And whenever they rear their ugly head, it is with some catastrophic consequences, leaving a tale of sorrow, tears and blood in its wake.
The Shiite group known as the Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMNL) is led by its fiery leader, Sheikh Ibrahim El-Zakzaky. The group came into prominence after the 1979 Iranian Revolution which was led by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. That 1979 revolution sent the then American puppet leader of Iran, Shah Reza Palavi, who had ruled the country with iron fist for decades, into oblivion. An Islamic regime was then put in place and Ayatollah Khomeini became the spiritual leader of the country. Since then, the Ayatollah, as the spiritual leader, has become the supreme authority of Iran.
This spiritual-cum-political arrangement must have been very attractive to the Shiite group in Nigeria who are equally thought to be pursuing the establishment of an Islamic state. Though the Shiite group holds sway in the northern parts of the country, little is known about them in the southern parts of the country. Nevertheless, security agents, particularly the Police and operatives of the Department of State Security, DSS, have always focused their binoculars on the group, especially its leader, El-Zakzaky. This has inevitably made the sect and the security agencies bitter enemies.
In July 2014, while on a pro-palestinian solidarity march in Zaria, Kaduna State, the group clashed with soldiers. The unfortunate encounter led to the death of about 34 members of the sect, including three sons of El-Zakzaky. The Army later came up with the explanation that the clash occurred when members of the sect attacked some soldiers who were trying to prevent the procession in view of the prevailing delicate security situation occasioned by the activities of the Boko Haram terrorists who had put the North-East of the country under armed insurrection. It took some time for frayed nerves to be calmed but that incident drew the line between the sect and the Army. It was like a ticking bomb waiting to explode.
However, the ticking bomb finally exploded on Friday, December 11, 2015. That day, Lt. General Tukur Buratai, the Chief of Army Staff, COAS, was on his way to the Zaria depot of the Nigerian Army to review a parade of the 74 Regular Recruits and also later, to pay a courtesy call on the Emir of Zazzau, when his convoy ran into members of the sect who were on a procession. Attempts by the COAS’ armed convoy to disperse the crowd were said to have been rebuffed. Not even the entreaties of some officers in the convoy who disembarked from their vehicles and approached the sect members would sway the crowd who by then had blocked the road. The COAS convoy was said to have come under attack, possibly engineered by some misguided and unruly elements within the crowd. The soldiers in the convoy allegedly responded by firing some shots which led to the death of some people. The crowd was then forced to disperse.
Since then, the social media and other media of communication have been awash with comments and repudiations from both sides to the conflict. But if the comment of a spokesman for the sect, which has been well advertised in the media, is anything to go by, then there is actually no love lost between the Army and the sect. While the Army could be accused of possibly being high-handed, the sect too appears to hold the establishment – the government and security agencies, particularly the army – in utter contempt. When the spokesman was asked whether they believe in the government or whether they defer to government, he simply said that the sect obeys orders, especially when the orders are not in conflict with “Allah’s injunctions”. If I may ask: How do you determine between Allah’s injunctions and government’s authority? The interpretation of what the sect spokesman simply said was that even if the government issues an order that there must not be any procession at a particular time, for security reasons, chances are that the sect might flout that order if it (the sect) believes it is embarking on a procession in line with Allah’s wish. To say the least, this is nothing but a recipe for confrontation.
When asked whether it was true that the sect members attacked the soldiers, the spokesman said: “If you are in your house and you see an armed person within the precinct of your house, what will you do?” What this man needs to understand is that if you have no skeleton in the cupboard and you suddenly woke up and see security agents around your premises, the most reasonable thing to do is either wait and see what they are up to, or to politely ask questions. Confrontation cannot and must not be the first option. There cannot be a republic within a republic. Otherwise, what is the difference between what this sect is trying to do and what Boko Haram is doing? Nobody can pronounce himself or herself an untouchable. We must all be answerable to the laws of the land and not attempt to carve out any utopian empire just because we feel we are superior to the law or that our religion is superior to the laws of the land.
At any rate, what has happened and has continued to repeat itself is quite unfortunate and uncalled for. Just as religion has a role to play in the country, the government, through its laws and agencies, also has a duty to create the enabling environment for citizens to go about their normal duties without fear of molestation and attack. Without an enabling environment, no religion, government or business can thrive. The first casualty is peace. We must get that clear. Therefore, rather than preach hatred, our religious leaders must preach peace at all times. If we are today saying that successive governments in Nigeria have failed the people, so also are our so-called religious leaders. They have also failed us since they appear to be more engrossed in how to line their pockets with filthy lucre and acquire political powers through the back door. They merely use their spiritual positions as subterfuge to acquire undue influence and power.
If anything at all, we need peace in this country more than any other thing as the absence of peace will certainly impinge on the much needed development we all crave for. Our religious leaders, whether Christians, Muslims or any other religion for that matter, should strive at all times to subjugate themselves and their followers to the dictates of the law. The laws are there to guarantee peace and uphold the fundamental human rights of individuals. You don’t undermine the law and then turn round to say that your human rights have been abused or trampled on.
With more than 700,000 innocent citizens dead, countless others maimed, many houses raised and economic lives ruined, pseudo-religionists, as represented by Boko Haram, have done incalculable damage to this country. We cannot afford another dangerous group toying with the destiny of this country. The security agents too must exercise restraint in the way they go about their duties without creating unnecessary tension and acrimony in the polity. This country belongs to everybody – Christians, Muslims, traditionalists, pagans, soldiers, other law enforcement agents, ordinary citizens and what have you. It is not the exclusive property of any individual or group of people no matter how highly or well placed they might be.
This piece was originally published on Premium Times