Contrary to the popular belief that the government has be keeping mute on the massacre of more than 60 Shiite religious sect members by the military in Zaria after the group reportedly blocked the federal highway thereby blocking Buratai’s convoy from driving through, the House of Representatives Committee on National Security and Intelligence met behind closed doors with the Chief of Army Staff, Lt-Gen. Tukur Buratai, on Tuesday over the recent clash between soldiers and members of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria in Zaria.
For the past few days, the federal government has been receiving lots of criticism from Nigerians and other international bodies across the world for refusing to take necessary actions expected in bringing justice for the victims of the bloody clash.
At a meeting which took place at the National Assembly in Abuja recently, it was gathered that, the house of rep members have been interrogating the Chief of Army Staff over the massacre of the sect members.
The Chairman of the committee, Mr. Aminu Sani-Jaji, later informed reporters that members questioned the army chief on what truly happened in Zaria on that fateful day.
He disclosed that a similar meeting had already been held with the Director-General of the Department of State Services, Mr. Lawal Daura, also in secret.
Sani-Jaji added that the Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Solomon Arase was next on the line. He said the meeting with Arase could come up any time before the Christmas festivities or after.
However, as for the leaders of the Shi’ite, he claimed to have made fruitless efforts so far to reach them.
He further revealed that, members of the committee that were delegated to Zaria in a bid to hear the side of the sect returned to Abuja without making any progress and also gave assurance that sect would be reached by any possible means.
The House had on Wednesday last week, directed the committee to begin investigations into the clash.
The Speaker, Mr. Yakubu Dogara, had specifically asked the committee to “unearth the cause of the clash with a view to finding lasting solutions and had instructed hat the committee should leave no stone unturned.
He had appealed to Nigerians to remain calm, assuring them that they would be “fully briefed in due course when the committee must have concluded the assignment.”
