Nigeria Taken to ICC over Massacre of Muslims

A London-based lobby group has petitioned the International Criminal Court (ICC) to investigate clashes between the Nigerian military and the Islamic Movement of Nigeria in which over a thousand innocent Muslims were massacred.

The Islamic Human Rights Commission made a submission to the court prosecutor on Monday, citing evidence from eyewitnesses that the actions of the Nigerian military during clashes with the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN) in December 2015 amounted to crimes against humanity.

The Nigerian army clashed with members of the IMN from December 12-14 in Zaria, Kaduna state in northern Nigeria, after the army alleged that the movement members had attempted to assassinate the Chief of Army Staff. Hundreds of the movement members were were killed by the army and their bodies dumped in mass graves in a bid to obscure the death toll, according to an investigation by Human Rights Watch (HRW).

In the petition, Islamic Human Rights Commission states that the Nigeria army committed crimes against humanity during the attacks and that the Nigerian authorities were unwilling to investigate and prosecute those who committed the alleged crimes.

“The operation resulted in the deaths of at least 1,000 unarmed civilians, mostly IMN members, killed by gunshots attributed to soldiers. Hundreds more were injured. There were reports that the military blocked access to medical care for the injured and shot at and killed wounded persons. Witnesses and victims reported signs of widespread force and cruelty with allegations of looting, arson, mutilation, mass graves, torture, rape and other inhumane acts leveled at the Nigerian Army”

During the clashes, Nigerian forces also raided the home of leader of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN), Sheikh Ibrahim Zakzaky and arrested him after killing those attempting to protect him. The Islamic scholar was himself injured in the attack and was taken into custody along with dozens of his supporters including his wife.

The IMN has called for Sheikh Zakzaky’s unconditional release and for Abuja to respond to the “unjustifiable atrocities committed by the army.”