By Ammar M. Rajab No fewer than 67 vehicles, 10 motorcycles, and 3 tricycles have been released to members of the Islamic Movem...
By Ammar M. Rajab
No fewer than 67 vehicles, 10 motorcycles, and 3 tricycles have been released to members of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria also known as Shiites by the Police in Zaria, Kaduna State on Saturday 1st April 2023.
Most of the vehicles were smashed with bullets. While some vehicles entrusted to the police, their engines, batteries, tires, rims, and many other parts of the vehicles were stolen.
The decision was an execution of the judgment of Kaduna State High Court which directed the Defendants to release to the Plaintiffs (Islamic Movement in Nigeria) their respective vehicles, tricycles, and motorcycles.
The vehicles, tricycles, and motorcycles were in the custody of the police since December 2015 after the Zaria massacre. The Nigerian Army handed over the vehicles, motorcycles, and tricycles to the police with the arrested members of the Islamic movement in Nigeria for investigation and prosecution.
Court later discharged and acquitted all members of the Islamic movement arrested during the Zaria massacre.
The two defendants in the case number KDH/KAD/1131/21 were the Commissioner of Police and Attorney General of Kaduna State.
Mr. M. Abu, Counsel to the Plaintiffs told journalists in Zaria on Saturday that they were at M.T.D Police Station Sabon Gari Zaria to pursue the execution of the judgment of November 9, 2022, by Justice Amina Bello of the Kaduna State High Court.
However, the counsel to the Plaintiffs, who confirmed the receipt of the vehicles from the Police, noted that: “the number of the vehicles for releasee filed in the court processes were a lot more than the vehicles they met at the police station.
“The vehicles on ground are just 67 but they are supposed to be more than that in number and the vehicles here were vandalized.
“On the disparity in the number of vehicles in the court documents and those physically in custody of the police, we are keeping our options close to our chest at the moment.
“We will discuss with our clients on the options available and the one we will explore,’’ Abu stated.
He added that his clients expected not less than 50 motorcycles but they met less than 10 motorcycles, noting that his clients would take them and decide on what to do on the ones unaccounted for.
It would be recalled that on December 15, 2021, the plaintiffs (Mohammed-Auwal Yakubu and 77 others) filed a Writ of Summons against the Commissioner of Police and Attorney General of Kaduna State.
The writ was hinged on an order of the Kaduna State High Court directing the Defendants to release unto the Plaintiffs their respective vehicles, tricycles, and motorcycles; N4m general damages and cost of the suite.
According to the writ, the vehicles, tricycles, and motorcycles were in the custody of the Defendants at M.T. D. Police Station in Zaria, Kaduna State since December 2015 after the Zaria massacre.
In an interaction with journalists, one of those who lost their vehicle, Sidi Muhammad Rabiu Kadaure, a resident of Kaduna, said; "The vehicles as you can see are wrecked. Like me, the tires of my motorcycle were removed", he said.
Engineer Ahmad Gilima, one of those who came to collect his vehicle, said; the judgment against the defendants has again exposed the extent of the injustice done to the plaintiffs by the government of President Muhammadu Buhari.
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