Zaria Massacre: "Nigerian Army naked & raped IMN's women before shot them to death" say protesters

AhlulBayt News Agency - Female Muslims of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria staged a fresh protest on Monday 15 February 2016, demanding the immediate and unconditional release of their leader Sheikh Zakzaky, his wife Malama Zeenatuddeen and hundreds of his followers who are illegally being detained by the Nigerian Government.

Many of the demonstrators were singing a defiant song which meant the truth cannot be suppressed by gunshots, voicing out their anger over the extra-judicial killings of women and children by the Nigerian soldiers in Zaria.

Furthermore, the Muslim sisters, have called on the president Muhammad Buhari to as a matter of urgency, release their supreme leader Zakzaky saying that they would not relent following legal means, staging peaceful protests and exerting pressure on the government until they have witnessed the release of their detained leader.

In her briefing with newsmen, women leader of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria, Bauchi chapter, Malama Suwaibat Yunusa said they trooped to the streets to vent their spleen in regard to the continued incarceration of their leader. "we are here to demand the immediate release of our leader because his continued detention is illegal" She said. She further condemned the apparent violation of women dignity during the engineered massacre of people in Zaria.

She said women were stripped naked and raped before they were shot to death. "Nigeria is the only country in the world where women and children are bearing the brunt of targeted assassination by the army who are solely created to protect them. They tore off their dignity, they sexually molested our women, and transferred them to Kaduna prison in the middle of the night.

We therefore wish to send a clear message to the Nigerian government that shooting and killings will never alter our resolve to demand the release of our leader" She added angrily.

On her side, Hajiya Fatima also shared the same stand with Suwaibat Yunusa, she said releasing Zakzaky and his followers is no longer an option, it is the only option. "The crime committed by the Nigerian soldiers in Zaria is tantamount to an engineered massacre which is meant to wipe out Shias in this country. Up to this moment we are unable to exactly know the numbers of victims of this atrocity.

The assassinations of women in the incident are the most heinous crime in the history of this nation. The world should not remain silent" she added.

The demonstration was covered by various news outlets which add more pressure on the government to ensure the release of Sheikh Zakzaky and followers.