The Other Side Of Buhari's Declaration For A Second Term

By Abdulmumin Giwa

Although not much of a celebration was seen among the said supporters of President Muhammadu Buhari after he declared to contest for a second term, he certainly needs to continue as president to be safe.

This is because, in his bid to be accepted by the global hegemony and imperialism, he chose the wrong political dynamics by choosing to fight the influence of Iran in Africa on behalf of America, Israel and Saudi Arabia.

This pushed Buhari to implement extra-judicial acts seen by international laws as crimes against humanity.

Buhari killed over 1000 members of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria IMN in Zaria in December 2015.

He used the Army in the attack which was more of an act of state terrorism. Men, women and children were mercilessly butchered by the army in the killing spree. Some were burned alive, some buried alive and others tortured to death by the soldiers under Buhari' s orders.

The leader of the IMN Sheikh Ibraheem Zakzaky and his wife were kept in detention with the secret police, DSS, despite injuries inflicted on them by the soldiers during the brutal attack. The leader lost an eye and the mechanical function of a limb during the attack and has been refused treatment by Buhari despite persistent pressure from his followers and other concerned groups.

Despite all efforts by the Chief of the Army to hide the state perpetrated mass murder, where he claimed in an interview with the press that he killed only six people, it was made public during the sitting of a Judicial Commission of Inquiry, JCI, set up by the Kaduna state government, that 347 IMN members were buried in a mass grave in Mando village near Kaduna.

The IMN in a newspaper advertorial also revealed the names and profiles of over 800 members of the Movement missing since the pogrom in Zaria.

Also, a competent court of jurisdiction, the Federal High Court, has ordered the unconditional release of the IMN leader, compensation, provision of residence and personal security but the Nigerian government acted in contempt of court and is keeping him under continued illegal detention.

Several human rights organizations and governments have called on the Nigerian government to release the IMN leader but all in vain.

The IMN took its case before the International Criminal Court, ICC in the Hague which has since concluded the stages of preliminary investigations into the pogrom and is approaching the stage of indictment.

Nigerian laws provide immunity for the executive in power and that might serve as a protection for the president in his crimes against humanity.

Some of the stubborn accomplices of Buhari in the crime, especially the Kaduna state Governor Nasir El-Rufai have earlier challenged the integrity of the ICC suggesting Nigeria to seize being a signatory.

For Buhari to be out of power with the coming indictment for crimes against humanity, he rather remains in power to protect his personal interest and those of his accomplices in the crimes.

They want to use the next four years to enjoy immunity and change Nigeria's status with the ICC to save their necks.

The indictment by the ICC might soon be announced and possibly before the up coming 2019 general elections. This will reveal the real reason why they need a second term by all means.