A decade after the 2015 massacre of hundreds of members of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN) in Zaria, Kaduna State, the group’s leader, Sheikh Ibraheem El-Zakzaky, says attempts by former President Muhammadu Buhari to end the movement only strengthened its message and existence.
The clash began after IMN members allegedly blocked the convoy of the then Chief of Army Staff, Lt-Gen. Tukur Buratai, during a passing-out parade in Zaria. The situation escalated into a large military assault that left at least 300 IMN members dead and secretly buried, according to Human Rights Watch.
El-Zakzaky and his wife, Zeenat, were arrested after the incident and detained until 2021, when a Kaduna State High Court discharged and acquitted them.
Speaking at a press conference marking 10 years since the killings, El-Zakzaky criticised both the Buhari administration and the current government for failing to acknowledge the incident or release the judicial commission of inquiry’s report submitted in September 2016.
“Nothing has been done. They don’t even acknowledge that anything happened,” he said. “Buhari said he was following the matter with rapt attention, yet he finished two terms and said nothing.”
Asked whether he had forgiven Buhari, El-Zakzaky replied: “He has passed away. We will meet on the Day of Judgement.”
He said the government should address the injustice without being pressured, adding that the heavy-handed response to IMN activities only made the group’s message more visible globally.
“The attempt to destroy an ideology with a gun only made our cause known to the world,” he said.
El-Zakzaky also confirmed that the IMN had initiated international legal action through the Islamic Human Rights Commission, insisting that evidence of the massacre had been well-documented.
On the possibility of dialogue with the government, he said: “Why not? They know talk is possible. But actions are another thing.”
Despite restrictions on their gatherings, he maintained that the movement would continue its activities.
“If they don’t want to see us, they will still see us. If they don’t want to hear us, they will still hear us,” he declared.
