Army/Shiite Clash Update: Kaduna Mass Buried 347 ‘Unknown’ Persons

By Longtong Ibrahim

Kaduna (Nigeria) – The Kaduna state government in North-west Nigeria on Monday said a total of 347 unknown persons were given mass burial as a result of the 12^th-14^th December clash between the Nigeria Army and members of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria, also known as Shiite.

Secretary to the Kaduna state government, Balarabe Abbas Lawal disclosed this while giving the state’s attestations during the public hearing aimed at looking into the clash before the inquiry commission set up by the Government.

According to him, 156 corpses were taken from the Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital (ABUTH), Zaria, while 191 corpses were brought in from the Nigerian Depot, Zaria, and are buried in a grave yard along Mando-Zaria road.

On demolished houses at Husainiyya, Dambo centres, El-zakzaky house, Alhaji Tijjani Muhammad’s house, Alhaji Aminu Idris’s house, and Jushi; he said they are fail structures and are demolished without any ulterior or political reasons but for the interest of public safety and standards.

“347 unknown persons were killed in the Army/Shite clash, and were given mass burial on 14^th December, 2015,” he said.

Other presentations of the Kaduna state government included presentations from the below stakeholders;

Director General, Interfaith Kaduna, Nemadi M. Musa

• According to him, he received a phone call by the Kaduna state government directing him to go to Zaria to find out the number of corpses and how they would be buried.
• He said the SSG directed him while in company of the state commissioner of Police to move to ABUTH, Zaria to ascertain the number of corpses of which he went, saw and counted 156.
• At the Nigerian Depot, he said, the SSG directed him to meet with Major Ogundare regarding the corpses there. “After introducing myself, he refused to let me know of the number; but later on, the SSG called me and told me the number.”
• Musa said, the SSG told him that there were a total of 191 corpses at the Nigerian Depot; he also confirmed the number while they were being buried; as he counted it one after the other as they are laid in the grave.
• He said the corpse were deposited one after the other in one mass grave and the burial lasted from about 12.00 midnight to 5.30am.
• He said they left Nigeria Depot with three heavy duty trucks and 60 young officers who escorted them to assist in offloading the corpses.
• From ABUTH, Zaria, five small trucks carried the 196 corpses.
• The Interfaith DG noticed that most corpses were covered with black materials and they included women and children.

General Manager, Kaduna State Public Works Agency (KAPWA), Engineer Tanimu Abubakar

• He said, he went with Mallam Lawal Magaji to inspect the structure before they were demolished.
• After inspection, they submitted their report to Kaduna State Urban Planning and Development Agency (KASUPDA) on the appalling state of the structures in which it made recommendations.
• He said the puncture from the clash was responsible for the weakness of the building which warranted the demolition.

Deputy Director, Ministry of Works and Transport, Engr. Mohammad Lawal Magaji

• According to him, at the course of the inspection, he observed that the buildings were damaged and it necessitated demolition.
• He said he has never seen the structures before the incident (clash) happened.

Director, Clinical Services, Department of Surgery, ABUTH, Prof. Adamu Ahmed

• He said the hospital received a total of 66 patients in the Accident and Emergency unit 13^th December, 2015.
• According to him the numbers were overwhelming compare to the number of facilities on ground but had to mobilize for other Doctors, nurses and resources.
• Patients were sorted out based on their needs for medical attention and were resuscitated.
• Another set of 43 patients were received on 15^th December, 2015, while on 16^th December also, six patients were received.
• Of the 66 patients, most of them are male with the youngest 13 years and oldest 43.

On whether he was aware of military truck coming into the mortuary section of the hospital on13/14 December, he said, he didn’t see them but was informed by the head of Mortuary Department.