Governor of Borno State, Alhaji Kasim Shettima; and Katsina State Governor, Alhaji Aminu Bello Masari, at the meeting of the 19 northern governors’ forum in Kaduna yesterday.
Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufa’i has insisted that the leader of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria, popularly known as Shi’ite Movement, Sheikh Ibrahim El-Zakzaky must be prosecuted over the recent clash between his members and the Nigeria Army in Zaria that left scores of the Shiites members dead.
El-Rufai made his position known yesterday shortly after the Chairman of the Northern States Governors Forum (NSGF) and Borno State Governor, Kashim Shettima read the communiqué proffering solutions to the clash and other crises in the north.
However, the Kaduna State governor said the actions of all the parties involved in the incident will be weighed against constitutional provisions and anyone found wanting be prosecuted accordingly.
He added that a Judicial Commission of Inquiry set up by the state government would examine the remote and immediate causes of the Zaria clash.
Governor Shettima while reading the communiqué earlier, said Nigerians should respect the law and constituted authority saying the forum expects every organization, religious or social to operate within the confines of the law.
He said, the 19 northern governors have banned unauthorized procession in the region, saying henceforth, religious and social organisations must obtain police permits before embarking on such.
Shettima noted that: “The governors frowned at arbitrary blockage of highways through unauthorized processions causing inconveniences to other citizens.”
It pointed out that “henceforth, processions must necessarily be with Police permit and protection as prescribed by the law.”
According to the communiqué the forum endorsed all the steps taken so far by the Kaduna State governor to contain the situation and assure citizens of its readiness to maintain law and order while respecting the constitutional rights of citizens to practice their faith in a manner devoid of infringing the rights of others.
Earlier, before going into the closed door meeting, Governor Shettima in his opening remarks said the forum was not out to compare the Shi’ite sect with Boko Haram but to curtail similar incidence which brought about the dreaded Boko Haram sect.
He said, “However, we are here in connection with what happened in Zaria, first because the issue has to do with an Islamic group that has membership across the nineteen states in the north and beyond.”
The forum chairman explained that: “We already have the serious problems of Boko Haram to contend with. We are not in any way comparing the Islamic Movement with Boko Haram, no! But we don’t want the same mistake that happened over the Boko Haram crisis to repeat itself.”
He said when Boko Haram went wild in July, 2009 with clashes between them and the police in Bauchi on 25th and 26th in Maiduguri, most Nigerians saw the issues as the problems of Bauchi and Borno.
However he said when they continued to attack in Borno and Yobe, it became the affairs of Borno and Yobe states but when there was suicide attack in Abuja in 2012 and then everything went out of control.
Present at the emergency meeting were Governors Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal of Sokoto, Abdul’aziz Abubakar Yari of Zamfara, Idris Wada of Kogi, Alhaji Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi, Mohammed Badaru Abubakar of Jigawa, Aminu Bello Masari of Katsina and Kashim Shettima of Borno state among others.
Credits: DAILY TRUST
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