The Socialist Party of Nigeria has advised the Chief of Army Staff, Lt.Gen Tukur Buratai, to immediately resign following the attack on members of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria by soldiers in Kaduna which left over 100 Shiites dead.
The party said this in a statement by its spokesperson, Segun Sango, on Monday.
Soldiers allegedly killed prominent members of the sect and arrested the leader of the group, Sheik Ibrahim Zakzaky, and killed three of his sons after an altercation between the soldiers and members of the group over the obstruction of the convoy of the army boss.
The SPN said, “We hold that the Chief of Army Staff, General Barutai, has shown that the Nigerian Army under his leadership is an anti-democratic and repressive army and we demand his immediate resignation. We call on the entire trade union movement to stage mass protests to demand an end to all these undemocratic attacks and in particular to call for the immediate resignation of the army boss.”
The SPN slammed the Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir el-Rufai, for showing solidarity with the military by banning religious processions in the state.
It demanded the immediate release of Zakzaky and other Shiites languishing in detention.
It added, “We also condemn the pronouncements credited to the Kaduna State Governor, Mallam el-Rufai, imposing a ban on mass processions and protests in the state, which is directly targeted at the Shiites calling for the release of their famous leader.
“While we of the SPN may not agree with the Shiites on their religious fundamentalist perspectives and methodology, we submit that they have the fundamental right to peaceful assembly. We hold that the argument of the army that the attack on the Shiites was provoked by the barricading of the highway which the COAS was plying as completely baseless.”
About The Nigerian Blogger
0 comments :
Post a Comment