By Zainab Rauf, Abuja Leader of the Islamic movement, Sheikh Ibraheem Zakzaky, has strongly condemned the recent killings of 16...
By Zainab Rauf, Abuja
Leader of the Islamic movement, Sheikh Ibraheem Zakzaky, has strongly condemned the recent killings of 16 Northerners in Uromi, Edo State, and the fatal shooting of Quds Day protesters by Nigerian soldiers in Abuja. He emphasised that true peace cannot exist without justice.
Speaking during a meeting with members of the Islamic movement at his residence in the Federal Capital Territory over the weekend, the cleric described both incidents as deeply troubling and unacceptable.
“These killings are reprehensible,” Sheikh Zakzaky said. “Even if you accuse someone of a crime—say, robbery—your duty is to arrest them and hand them over to the police, not to execute them.”
The Sheikh expressed dismay at what he described as selective outrage, noting that while many have spoken out against the Uromi killings, the extrajudicial killings by security forces in Abuja have largely been ignored.
“I know the Uromi killings have stirred public outrage, and people are speaking up,” he said. “But what about the killings in Abuja? Is one life more valuable than another? Is one killing justified while the other is not? Killing is killing. Whether it happens in Uromi or Abuja, it must be condemned.”
He continued: “Why remain silent when people are being killed? We cannot and will not stay quiet in the face of murder. We are against all forms of unlawful killing.”
Sheikh Zakzaky stressed the moral failure of remaining silent in the face of violence, especially when those responsible are state actors. “The killings in Uromi have shaken us, and we have spoken out. But when it happens to us, everyone goes quiet. If we justify any killing or choose to remain silent, we lose our humanity. One day, such violence may reach us too. Every act of unlawful killing must be condemned—particularly when committed by those tasked with upholding the law.”
He further warned against moral inconsistency: “You cannot condemn one killing and ignore another. That silence implies approval. All unlawful killings are crimes before God.”
Reaffirming the Islamic movement’s stance, the cleric concluded: “We will never remain silent, no matter the religion, ethnicity, or background of the victim. There is no justification for killing anyone, and we cannot be complicit through silence. Peace does not mean silence. Silence is not peace—peace is justice.”
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