So far, there are over 10,000 Twitter posts and trending reactions to commemorate the seventh anniversary of slain members of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria.
The movement, popularly called ‘Shi’a’ under the leadership of Ibrahim Al-Zakzaki lost hundreds of its adherents on December 12, 2015.
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Reportedly, about 1000 adherents were killed, with over 300 given a mass burial. The mass killing was aftermath of a face-off between the group and military operatives led by former Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Tukur Burtai.
The army claimed it responded to an attempted assassination of Burtai, in Gyellesu, Zaria, Kaduna. But the group and human rights organisations refuted the claim.
Human rights activists insisted that the mass murder of the sect’s faithful violated their rights.
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Ammar Mohammad Rajab, a multimedia journalist tweeted: “Zaria massacre is trending on Twitter. Over six thousand people talked about it so far”.
Adetutu Balogun posted one Bukhari Bello Jega (now late), who supported the president Muhammadu Buhari in 2015 but was killed alongside his daughter by officials of the president’s administration. “They wipe out his family in one night”, she wrote.
Adetutu’s post attracted 1,298 reactions where 738 Twitter users liked the post, 541 retweeted with 19 quotes.
Zakzaky, the leader of the movement, distributed items to some widows and widowers, according to a tweet from his office.
“While commemorating the 7th anniversary of #ZariaMassacre, the leader Sheikh Ibraheem Zakzaky (H) met with the 4th batch of the families of martyrs in his Abuja residence,” the tweet read. It has 424 likes, 150 retweets and 5 quotes.
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Also, Adam Abubakar Rogo posted two sons of Zakzaki reportedly murdered during the raid.
“These are Ali Ibraheem Zakzaky and Humaid Ibraheem Zakzaky. The biological sons of Sheikh Ibraheem Zakzaky. Until their martyrdom, Ali has completed Senior Secondary Education waiting for admission into the university while Humaid was at Secondary School.
“They were murdered at their father’s residence Gyallesu Zaria by Nigerian Army led by Buratai ordered on 14/12/2015. Their bodies were buried in a mass grave by Kaduna State Governor Elrufai,” Rogo tweeted.
