MUST READ: Army/Shiite clash: I escaped by the will of God — Buratai

                                                                                   Burati, Chief of Army Staff

* Death toll hits 1,000, says sect spokesman

* El-Zakzaky, wife in our custody

By Henry Umoru, Luka Binniyat, Joseph Erunke & Mayen Etim

ABUJA—CHIEF of Army Staff, Lt-Gen. Tukur Buratai, said yesterday it was by divine intervention that he escaped being assassinated on Saturday, by members of the Shiites Muslim sect.



The sect on its part claimed that at least one thousand of its members had been killed and that soldiers had evacuated their bodies following the weekend clash between its members and the military.

The Nigerian Army also said “the leader of the Shiite Islamic Movement of Nigeria, Sheikh Ibraheem El-Zakzaky and his wife are in the custody of the Nigerian Army, “safe and sound” in a secured and protective custody.”

The army boss said contrary to claim that members of the Shiites group were not armed, they were not only heavily armed but also violently confronted him and his convoy on his way to Zaria.

The Army chief spoke to newsmen at the National Assembly complex, shortly after attending an interactive meeting called by the Senate Committee on Defence, for service chiefs.

“You want to know how I escaped? It was by the will of God that I was able to escape from the place,”he said, while advising citizens to be law abiding wherever they are.

Insisting that the group was violent, Buratai stressed: “ I think NTA was there and they aired the clip, it was very clear . They were violent and the clip is there.”

Meanwhile, the sect spokesman, Ibrahim Musa said. “We have reports that bodies of our members killed outside the house of our leader, Sheikh Ibrahim Zakzaky are being evacuated in trucks by soldiers and our leader was arrested this morning (yesterday) in his demolished home by soldiers where he had been holed up in a room that was spared from the fire that gutted the house from grenades.”

Ibrahim Musa, in a statement he issued in Kaduna alleged that the army was not only selectively killing its members yesterday, but it had instigated the public to join in the killings.
The Nigeria Police, and Kaduna State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) were mute yesterday over the claims.

El-Zakzaky, wife in our custody — Army

The Nigerian Army said yesterday that the leader of the Shiite Islamic Movement of Nigeria, Sheikh Ibraheem El-Zakzaky and his wife are in its custody “safe and sound” in a secured and protective custody,

Addressing a late evening press conference yesterday, the General Officer Commanding, GOC, 1 Division of Nigerian Army, Major General Adeniyi Oyebade said the order given to the troops was to ensure that the sect leader was taken into a safe custody and as at 09:15am he was brought into the custody the Army with his wife and some family members.

The GOC further said that the sect leader would soon be allowed access to his members.

Source: Vanguard