The Kaduna State Government on Thursday, April 21, 2016 asked a Kaduna High Court to sentence 50 Shiite members to death for allegedly causing the death of a soldier.
The government had filed a five-count charge against the accused before Justice David Wyom. It accused them of criminal conspiracy, unlawful assembly, culpable homicide, disturbance of public peace and wrongful restrain.
In the petition, counsel to the government, Mr. Bayero Diri, said that the offences are punishable under Sections 97,221,102,106 and 225 of the Penal Code Law, Laws of Kaduna State 1991.
The government said that the offence was committed between December 12 and 14, 2015 in Zaria. It alleged that the suspects, among other things, shot dead one Cpl. Yakubu Dankaduna of the Nigerian Army “with a gun when he alighted from the convoy to disperse the Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN) members.”
Section 102 of the penal code prescribes death sentence for such offence. The prosecution told the court that they intend to present 39 witnesses. The plea of the accused persons was not taken as the judge adjourned sitting till May 16. The 50 suspects were among the 265 persons currently in custody, who were arrested during the Shiites clash with the Army on December 12 and December 14, 2015
The Nigerian Army had alleged assassination attempt on the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant- General Tukur Buratai, when his convoy was passing through Zaria in Kaduna State.
A bloody confrontation ensued between the military and members of the Shiite movement, resulting in the deaths of some members of the sect, while hundreds got injured in the process.
According to the sect, the group’s leader, Sheik Ibrahim El-Zakzaky, who dresses like an ayatollah, suffered four bullet wounds, and is among scores detained.
