*Court Proceedings Blocked from Journalists and Rights Groups *Injured Detainees Arrested While Receiving Treatment *Three Died in SARS ...
*Court Proceedings Blocked from Journalists and Rights Groups
*Injured
Detainees Arrested While Receiving Treatment
*Three Died in
SARS Office Abuja
*Soldiers
Killed One in Prison, Two Still Missing
*Detainee
Requires Brain Surgery, Left Unconscious for Over a Year
*Continuous
Failed Bail Attempts and Judicial Delays
By Ammar M. Rajab
Sixty Shiites have been
detained since July 2019, spending over five years in Kuje prison without
justice in the Federal Capital Territory.
Journalists and rights
groups have been banned from attending court proceedings. Among the detainees
are minors, and many of them were injured, having been arrested at a hospital
while receiving treatment for gunshot wounds inflicted by Nigerian police
during a Free Zakzaky protest at the Federal Secretariat in Abuja.
Several attempts to
secure bail have failed, as the judge has not permitted a bail application. One
detainee, Usman Wadata, needs brain surgery and has been unconscious for over a
year without receiving treatment.
What Transpired?
The leader of the Islamic movement in Nigeria, Sheikh Ibraheem Zakzaky
On July 22, 2019, a
protest in Abuja started from NITEL Junction at Wuse 2, aimed at pressuring the
Federal Government to release the leader of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria,
Sheikh Ibraheem Zakzaky, who had been detained by the Buhari regime following
the 2015 Zaria massacre.
An eyewitness, Muhammad
Abdullahi Usman, stated that during the protest, the Nigerian police attacked
the protesters with live ammunition. According to the Islamic Movement, 11 of
their members were killed by the police during the protest.
The President of the
Media Forum of the movement, Ibrahim Musa, stated on July 22 that security
agencies had taken away the bodies of their members killed on Monday. He said
they were on a peaceful protest when security forces prevented them from
passing through the Federal Secretariat.
“A lot of people have
been shot but for now we can only confirm 11 deaths, but several are injured,
the figure for now stands at 30. Though we are aware that the security agencies
have been taking away those they killed from the streets,” Musa said. “The
police went to the Abuja University Teaching Hospital, Gwagwalada, and took
away about 11 people they shot during the protest.”
Musa strongly disputed
the police's claim that the protesters shot at them, stating that throughout
their processions since 2015, they had not carried any arms.
The police confirmed
that they had arrested 54 suspects in connection with the incidents. The then
Force Public Relations Officer, DCP Frank Mba, reported that Deputy
Commissioner of Police Usman Umar, in charge of Operations at the Federal
Capital Territory Police Command, was shot dead. It was unclear who killed him
as there was no investigation or post-mortem to determine the cause of death,
and he was swiftly buried the same day.
A member of the
National Youth Service Corps reporting for Channels TV, Precious Owolabi, was
hit by a stray bullet. He was rushed to the National Hospital, Garki, where he
later died on Monday evening. Musa claimed it was the police who shot at the
Channels TV reporter, indicating that many innocent people were shot by the
police, including some of their own.
Injured Detainees Arrested While Receiving Treatment
One detainee told our
reporter how he was arrested: “We were arrested at Abuja University Teaching
Hospital, Gwagwalada. I was injured during the protest. We were taken to the
hospital for treatment when the police came and whisked us away to the SARS office
in Area I Abuja. SARS was later disbanded by Buhari’s regime after a widely
broadcast protest.”
A source who requested
anonymity told our reporter that the Nigerian police spent four days arresting
people, from July 22 to 25. “We were all taken to SARS office and detained in
unpleasant conditions,” the source said.
Muhammad Abubakar, an
independent investigator, told our reporter that he learned over a hundred
people were arrested during the incident, but most were later released, with 63
people still detained who seemed associated with the Islamic Movement. At least
16 detainees needed medical attention due to gunshot wounds, severe beatings,
and more.
Three Died in SARS Office Abuja
During the heat of the
event, three members of the Islamic Movement died in SARS custody, reportedly
due to lack of proper treatment. “They lacked proper medical attention from the
authorities, which resulted in their deaths,” Abubakar said. He added that most
of them were arrested at Abuja University Teaching Hospital, Gwagwalada, where
they were receiving treatment for gunshot wounds when the police took them away
to their cells.
Shiites in Court
On November 28, 2019,
after five months in SARS custody, the Nigerian police took 60 members of the
Islamic Movement to court. The first court proceeding was adjourned to December
10, 2019. The accused were taken to the Federal High Court, Court 45 Apo, in
Abuja. Initially, the police charged them with nine offenses, later increase
the charges to 14.
Bala Dakum was the
first defendant's lawyer, but later, lawyers under the leadership of Dr. Yushau
Bn Shuaib met with him and continued the defense. Reports show there were 25
court proceedings throughout the case, and 33 times the court did not sit.
Our source stated that
the defense has been completed, but the judge rejected the no-case submission
application by the defense lawyer.
Court Proceedings Blocked from Journalists and
Rights Groups
Journalists and rights
groups were consistently blocked from attending court proceedings. The judge
warned against their presence and later banned them entirely. Abubakar, who has
been following the case, told our reporter that the judge seemed afraid and
moved the court proceedings to Kuje prison.
Judge Suleiman Bolaji
Belgore has been accused of repeatedly adjourning the case, delaying justice.
“The judge seems afraid. He moved the court proceedings to Kuje prison. The
proceeding is not taking place in court but in prison,” Abubakar said.
Soldiers Killed One in Prison, Two Still Missing
Usman Jibril, was allegedly killed by the Nigerian army at the
front gate of the prison while running for shelter.
On July 5, 2022, there was a prison break at Kuje Maximum Correctional Centre, one of the largest prisons in Abuja. The attack was later claimed by Boko Haram, who orchestrated it to release their members. Sixteen officers and inmates were injured in the attack. Of the 994 inmates present at the time, 879 escaped; however, 443 had been recaptured by the following day. The attack lasted 50 minutes.
During the prison
break, one member of the Islamic Movement, Usman Jibril, was allegedly killed
by the Nigerian army. Sheikh Zakzaky, in a speech, accused the Nigerian army of
killing Jibril. An eyewitness stated that the Nigerian army shot him at the
front gate of the prison while he was running for shelter.
After the prison break,
Islamic Movement members detained in the prison, who were released by the Boko
Haram militants, voluntarily returned to Kuje Prison. This was reportedly
surprising, as many expected them to flee. The Shia inmates cited reasons such
as fear of being targeted by security forces or other groups, a desire to clear
their names, and wanting to serve out their sentences.
Two detainees, Iliyasu
Yakubu and Isah Ahmed, have been missing since the attack.
Detainee Requires Brain Surgery, Left Unconscious
for Over a Year
Usman Wadata, one of
the detainees, is seriously ill. Reliable sources report that Wadata's doctor
has warned he requires immediate brain surgery due to his critical condition.
Wadata contracted this illness due to severe beatings by Nigerian security
forces, which caused significant head trauma and memory damage following his
arrest.
His father, Wadata,
stated on his Facebook page, “I solicit your prayers. My son, Usman Wadata, is
seriously ill and may need brain surgery at any moment.” Usman Wadata stated,
“When the pain starts, I fall unconscious and don’t know what is happening for
a long time. On Wednesday, June 19, 2024, after we went to the hospital, the
doctor assured me again that I could lose my life if the surgery is not
performed,” he confirmed.
Nine Out of Sixty Are on Bail
Daily Struggle Newspaper reported that nine out of sixty detainees have been
granted bail due to serious gunshot injuries. Out of the nine, six are women
and three are men. “Some of those granted bail had very critical injuries. Some
couldn’t stand, while others needed walking aids. The prison had to reject them
due to their condition, so the police took them back, which led the court to
grant them bail,” a source told our reporter.
Among those granted
bail are two elderly women and a minor aged 11. Fifty-one people are still in Kuje
prison awaiting judgment.
Daily Struggle Newspaper obtained the names of the sixty accused Shiites,
which include: Fatima Ibrahim, Shehu Kabir Garba, Ahmed Suleiman, Aminu Usman,
Fatima Usman Sabo, Hajara Huseini, Abdullahi Abubakar, Shamsu Buhari, Umar
Abubakar, Ibrahim Shehu, Mohammed Mohammed, Musa Muhammad, Iliyasu Yakubu,
Imran Ayuba, Aminu Suleiman, Mohammed Abubakar, Jibril Usman, Kamaludden
Mikailu, Muhammad Wadata, Muhammad Kamisu, Musa Hamisu, Aliyu Musa, Hamza
Mahdi, Adamu Usman, Kabiru Umar, Rabiu Habib, Aliyu Adam, Muhammad Aliyu,
Ibrahim Sani, Sani Musa, Abubakar Adam, Ayuba Ridwanu, Mahadi Tukur, Kamar
Umar, Ibrahim Khalid, Abdullahi Musa, Muhammad Abdullahi, Bakir Jabir, Ahmed
Mohammed, Aliyu Abdullahi, Usman Khamisu, Mahadi Bello, Ummulkhulsum Isma’il,
Kamalu Usman, Zayyanu Usman, Ahmed Abdullahi, Ansar Y. A. Ansar, Ahmed Adamu,
Yahaya Abdullahi, Hawa’u Adamu, Nura S. Salihu, Hawa’u Aminu, Isah Alfa Isah,
Mohammed Sani, Mohammad Ishaq, Ammar Dayyabu, Isah Ahmed, Ali Idris, Ahmad Abdullahi,
and Muhammad Ibrahim.
Sani Abdullahi, a Human
Rights activist in Abuja, in an interview with Daily Struggle, opined: “As we mark the fifth year of the detention
of 60 Shiites, including minors and injured protesters, the sense of injustice
remains palpable. This prolonged captivity starkly reveals the pressing need
for judicial reform and stronger human rights protections.
“Keeping these
individuals behind bars for so long not only violates legal norms but also
deepens societal rifts and fosters bitterness. This somber anniversary should
remind us of the crucial role that justice and empathy play in governance.
Addressing the plight of these detainees is essential to restoring faith in our
legal system and beginning the healing process for the affected community,” he
concluded.
Several attempts to
contact the Nigeria Police Force failed, as our reporter's calls were not
received by the spokesman of the Police Force Headquarters at the time of
publishing this report.
This reporting was completed with the support of the
Citizens for Justice and Accountability (CJA).
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