Army ‘justifies’ killing of Shi’ites with Trump’s ‘consider stones as rifles’ comment

The Nigerian army has again commented on the killing of some members of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN).

The army on Friday referenced a directive given by US President Donald Trump to his country’s military. He said they should consider stones thrown at them by asylum-seeking migrants as rifles.

IMN members, better known as Shi’ites, had clashed with soldiers in some parts of Abuja.

The army confirmed three Shi’ites dead and four soldiers wounded during the incident but the group said at least 1,000 of its members are missing.

“They (the Shi’ites) fired weapons at own troops, throwing bottle cannisters with fuel, large stones, catapults with dangerous objects and other dangerous items at troops causing bodily harm and stopping motorist movement, breaking their windscreen and causing heavy traffic,” the army had said.

The deaths have been condemned by many Nigerians and rights groups, including Amnesty International, which accused the soldiers of “firing live ammunition to disperse a peaceful gathering without warning”.

The army shared Trump’s video via Twitter on Friday, asking Nigerians to “make your deductions” from the comment.

Trump said in part: “Anybody throwing stones like they did to the Mexican military, Mexican police, where they were badly hurt, we will consider that a firearm.

“We are not going to put up with that.

“They want to throw rocks at our military, our military fights back. We are going to consider that… I told them consider that a rifle. When they throw rocks like they did at the Mexican military and police, I said ‘consider it a rifle’.”

https://twitter.com/HQNigerianArmy/status/1058264565190774786?s=19

Some Nigerians criticised the army over the seeming justification of the Shi’ites’ killing.

Below are some of the reactions to the army’s tweet:

My Deductions:
1. The subjects are not the citizens of US.
2. The US Military are being asked to protect their borders against external force/invasion.
3. The subjects have been forewarned severally not to enter the US illegally.

— Saint Enike (@SaintEnike) November 2, 2018

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You guys are guilty as charged, the comparison u want to make doesn't add up,that is illegitimate external aggression, while the shitte case is legitimate internal protests, so u can't compare the two. Buhari and Buratai will soon visit ICC,you guys should continue. We are noting

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— Val Mary (@ValMary89666872) November 2, 2018

Shame on @HQNigerianArmy for justifying what they did to Shiites.@realDonaldTrump was talking about foreigners and not US citizens.American Army can never ever shoot live bullets at their citizens. Never. Get that into your heads. Shiites are #Nigerian #citizens not foreigners

— MADIBA (@igboamaka12) November 2, 2018

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Oh! No this is the height, Nigerian army referencing Donald Trump? Same man that called t Commander in Chief Lifeless, so if we should go by this analogy, Buhari is Lifeless as insinuated by Trump.
It’s obvious the Nigerian army is not going to change anytime soon.

— BONARIO NNAGS (@bonario89) November 2, 2018

My deductions: You’ve now graciously admitted that civilians (citizens) who threw stones at army personnel in protest were attacked and shot at. Sad!

— Kingsley Udofa, PhD (@DrKUdofa) November 2, 2018