Shi’ia violence shows we haven’t learnt from history, says Sani

Shehu Sani, the lawmaker representing Kaduna central senatorial district, says the clash between the military and members of Shi’ia sect shows that Nigeria has not learnt from “painful experiences” of the past.

The human rights activist condemned the action of the Shi’ite members who attacked the convoy of the chief of army staff but said the military should not have use force on them.

He called on President Muhammadu Buhari to probe the incident, saying “silence amounts to nothing but aiding and abetting a clear and undisguised abuse of fundamental human rights”.

The statement read: “The attacks on the homes and members of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria is nothing but an indiscriminate and disproportionate use of force by the military.

“Silence and neutrality to this amounts to nothing but aiding and abetting a clear and undisguised abuse of fundamental human rights.

“It’s absolutely wrong for the members of the group to deny the convoy of the chief of army staff the right of passage.

“However, killings and arson is not the legal, civilized and proportionate response to “road blockage”.

“Nigeria is a democratic state, the professional conduct of the apparatus of the state must be done within the ambit of the law and respect for fundamental rights of the citizenry.

“Nigeria as a democratic state must learn to balance its security exigencies with the need to observe and uphold its constitutional and moral obligation to fundamental human rights of its citizens.

“Any excuse to circumvent human rights, is a step towards tyranny. Northern Nigeria have in the last seven years been neck deep in violence and soaked in blood opening a new front will not augur well for the peace and stability of Nigeria.

“The Zaria killings simply affirmed the fact that as a nation we have not learnt our lessons from our painful and hard experience. The action of the military is untenable, intolerable and unacceptable and has a serious repercussion to our global image, perception and moral standing.

“In the light of our recent experiences, it’s in the best security interest of our nation to encourage and support religious groups to operate openly.

“The Islamic movement and their leader have repeatedly denounce terrorism and insurgency. Zaria killings were avoidable. The use of force must always be the last resort and not the first resort and must be done within the principles of internationally best practices of rules of engagement.

“We have a duty as patriots to support our military to protect and defend our country, but it must be held to account within the permissible line of morality and the law. Those who are in support of the Zaria killings are giving a helping hand to arbitrariness and spitting on a fundamental right that may be used against them someday. The enduring spirit of a democratic state is upholding its moral values and achieving its goals. Our ultimate goal of restoring peace and order in our country must not be at the expense of sacrificing those very principles that distinctively separate us from those oppose to our democratic values.

“The right to life and human dignity is foundation upon which all other rights stand. We must learn to defeat ideas with superior ideas and not superior spears.

“I call for peace and justice. I call on President Muhammadu Buhari to launch a full scale investigation.”