The judicial commission of inquiry into the December 12, 2015 violent clash between the Army and members of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria, also called the Shiites, has again been adjourned.
Wednesday, March 23, 2016 has been fixed for commencement of hearing into the incident. Chairman of the commission, Justice Mohammed Garba, said that the Army would appear on Wednesday to state its own account of the incident that claimed several lives.
Justice Garba explained that the adjournment was as a result of an oral pleading by counsel to the Shiites movement requesting for a short time to enable them have access to the leader of the movement, Sheik Ibrahim El Zakzaky, who is currently under detention in Abuja.
He explained that feelers he got from the counsels indicate that there were concrete plans for them to meet with El-Zakzaky on Monday at the DSS facility in Abuja to get a brief from him.
Justice Garba, while noting that no other adjournment would be entertained again by the commission having wasted five out of the six weeks given to it to conclude its report, announced that the Army would appear on Wednesday to give its own account of the incident.
He also said that other groups and individuals that submitted memorandum will also appear before the commission to give their own testimonies.
Counsel to the commission, Yunus Utaz, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, and that of the Army, Anthony Adeniyi, did not oppose the adjournment.
The General Officer Commanding, One Division of the Nigerian Army, Major General Adeniyi Oyebade, the Acting Director of Army Public Relations, Colonel Sani Usman and some other senior Army officers attended the sitting, reports Channelstv. However, counsels to the Islamic Movement were absent as they were said to be in Abuja where they are expected to meet with Sheik El-Zakzaky at the DSS office.
