Islamic Cleric, Gumi condemns El-Zakzaky over clash as Senate panel hit Kaduna

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Kaduna-based Islamic cleric, Dr. Ahmad Abubakar Gumi, yesterday, alleged that the leader of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria, popularly known as Shiites, Sheikh Ibraheem El Zakzaky, has been running a parallel government in most parts of the north in the last 40 years without hindrance.

This was as the Senate’s Ad-hoc Committee probing the recent clash between Shiite members and soldiers in Kaduna State, heads to the state next week to meet Governor Nasir el-Rufai and Emir of Zaria, Alhaji Shehu Idris.

For Gumi, blocking the road against other users is an abomination in Islam.

Addressing newsmen in Kaduna, Gumi said “the Shiites have been embarking on military training and producing cadets and soldiers.”

The Islamic cleric further alleged that they were “operating a state within a state.”

He revealed that the “Islamic Movement of Nigeria does not recognise the corporate entity of Nigeria. The group is not registered.

“They operate above the law and they get direct foreign aid.”

Gumi further alleged that former President Umaru Yar’Adua had told him of the massive importation of ammunitions and weapons to different parts of the country, adding that the president had mentioned Iran as supplying arms to the Shiites.

The medical doctor-turned Islamic scholar said the recent clash between Shiites and soldiers was “a divine intervention to prevent us from a catastrophe like that of Boko Haram. It came sudden and powerful to eradicate and uproot any plan that they must have had to harm the society.”

Gumi said he had written Zakzaky about a year ago, warning him about the dangers of blocking roads during the annual Ar’baeen trek, when his followers travelled on foot from all over the country to Zaria, saying blocking road is an abomination in Islam.

The scholar warned that the north will continue to be under-developed if the twin evils of Shiite and Boko Haram are not eradicated, adding that “the strife and unnecessary blocking of roads and shouting slogans on the way increase the tension in the north.”

However, the Senate’s Ad- hoc Committee investigating the recent clash between Shiite members and soldiers from Nigerian Army in Zaria , Kaduna State, is visiting Kaduna State Governor, Nasir el-Rufai, and Emir of Zaria, Alhaji Shehu Idris, next week.

Information to this effect filtered out from a closed door meeting the Senator Ahmad Lawan led committee held yesterday at the Senate Wing of the National Assembly.

Though efforts by reporters covering the Senate to find out what transpired at the meeting from Ahmad Lawan, who doubles as the Chairman, Senate Committee on Defence, failed as he refused to pick his calls.

But a member of the committee hinted that the meeting resolved to carry out a fact-finding mission to the scene of the attack in Kaduna on Monday next week.

The senator disclosed that members of the committee will visit Governor El-Rufai, Emir of Zaria and prominent members of the sect.

Meanwhile in an earlier disclosure made by another member of the panel, Senator Abu Ibrahim (APC Katsina South) on Monday, had indicated that the committee was billed to meet with some Shitte members today to find out their roles in the bloody clash.

He said they would grill the sect members during the meeting in order to get firsthand information about the clash.

He said, “You know we are on recess but we have decided to meet tomorrow (today) on the Zaria killings. We are meeting with some members of the sect. We will discuss with them in order to have firsthand information on the matter. All arrangements have been completed on this.”

He said the meeting would not be opened to the public, because of the sensitive nature of the issue.

“We members of the ad hoc committee have met on several occasions on the matter and we are working hard to do our investigation well. We will make our findings public afterwards. But for now, we are doing our job in secret,” he said.

On when the panel would be meeting the Army chief and the leader of the sect, he said, “I don’t know but from tomorrow’s meeting we will know our bearing.”

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