News / Nigeria

Nigeria army bulldozes grave of Zakzaky’s mother

Thursday, 24 December 2015 11:37 AM [ Last Update: Thursday, 24 December 2015 11:37 AM ]

This photo reportedly shows a bulldozer ripping through the building that houses the tomb of Hajja Saleha Muhammad, the mother of Nigerian Shia cleric Ibrahim al-Zakzaky, in the northern city of Zaria, December 23, 2015.

The Nigerian army has destroyed the burial place of prominent Shia cleric Sheikh Ibrahim al-Zakzaky's mother, a report says.

The Britain-based Islamic Human Rights Commission (IHRC) said a bulldozer ripped through the building that houses the tomb of Hajja Saleha Muhammad.

Photos from the scene of the attack show crowds assembling outside the site as a bulldozer razes the building to the ground.

Nigerian forces raided Zakzaky’s house on December 13 and arrested him after reportedly killing those attempting to protect him, including one of the movement’s senior leaders and its spokesman.

Nigerian soldiers had opened fire on Shia Muslims attending a ceremony at a religious center in the northern city of Zaria the previous day, accusing them of stopping the convoy of the army’s chief of staff on a road and attempting to assassinate him.

Nigerian Shia Muslims take to the streets to demand the release of Shia cleric Ibrahim al-Zakzaky, in Kano, Nigeria, December 21, 2015. (Photo by AP)

A spokesman for the Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN), which is led by Zakzaky, said the Shia leader was planning a speech at the center and strongly rejected the assassination accusation.

The attack on Zakzaky’s residence and the violence during the road incident led to the deaths of hundreds of members of the religious community, including three of al-Zakzaky’s sons. According to media reports, dozens of people are believed to have been killed in the raid; but the IHRC has put the toll at over 1,000.

Zakzaky, himself, is said to have suffered four bullet wounds during the attack and his fate is unknown.

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