- Families still live in tears over dishonourable mass burial
- We know more mass graves but can’t disclose– Zakzaky’s Lawyer
- “They are proscribed, we can’t talk,” says Police
- No one has been held accountable for the killings
Halima Salisu’s eyes well up with tears as she recounts the devastating loss of her three children—Yakubu, 35, Usman, 32, and Musa—in that horrific December 2015 massacre, where the military killed hundreds of members of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria, otherwise known as “Shi’ite.” Her husband and another son were imprisoned for years, their eventual release offering no solace as both soon succumbed to the unending trauma.
Halima herself is paralysed, a living testament to the unimaginable horrors she endured. In her modest home in Tudun Jukun, Zaria, she faces threats against her life and has considered fleeing the town, but she clings to the fragments of strength that keep her going.
Halima Salisu battles with a paralysed body since her husband and son were imprisoned for years – Photo: MuslimYusuf/DailyTrust.
In December 2015, the streets of Zaria were covered with the blood of innocent citizens as the Nigerian military unleashed a brutal massacre on the Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN). Over 1,000 lives were violently snuffed out, leaving behind a trail of shattered families and a community engulfed in grief. Sheikh Ibrahim El-Zakzaky and his wife, Malama Zeenah El-Zakzaky, were arrested, and three of their children were murdered. Nine years have passed, but the scars remain raw, and the cries for justice echo louder than ever.
According to multiple reports, the devastating massacre on December 12, 2015, wiped out nearly 100 families. The carnage resulted in the deaths of 548 men, 297 women, and 193 children. Among the women killed, 23 were reported pregnant at the time.
To set the records straight and quell major misinformation and disinformation on the tragedy, the Daily Trust reporter interviewed more than 30 people, including victims and their relatives, who mostly relocated from Zaria after the incident. Many of them say they have not seen their loved ones to date; some claimed many families were wiped out. Buildings linked to the IMN were also destroyed.
The heartbreaking stories of families torn apart
Abubakar Zaki, a resident of Gwagwalada Abuja, lives with a bag full of questions. Every time, he attempts to break the hush about the army clash that took his three daughters and two other dependents. He finds himself groping for words — He and his wife haven’t been in form since that attack. He has been living in a state of anguish for nine years.
“Losing five relatives in an instant attack has been devastating for our family,” he says, acknowledging that the day of the massacre remains etched in his memory. For him, the massacre is an unending nightmare that haunts his every waking moment.
“They shot her” Zaki’s in-law, Bukhari Jega, had called to break the sad news, explaining how a bullet had pierced Fatima, Zaki’s 17-year-old daughter. Later that afternoon, Nusaiba, 19, and his wife Aisha reached out with trembling voices; they said, “Please pray for us. They shot me in the belly, and Aisha was killed too.”
As if the pain was not enough, the horror continued to unfold as news came that Aisha’s husband had been killed alongside their 18-month-old baby, El-Batoul Bukhari Jega.
“The miserable thing I regret till date is not being able to see the bodies of my three middle-aged daughters,” Zaki told Daily Trust.
Confessions to the JCI
The aftermath of the massacre was as chilling as the event itself. The bodies of 347 victims were callously dumped into mass graves. On April 11, 2016, the Kaduna State government admitted to a Judicial Commission of Inquiry (JCI) that the military had buried these bodies in secret just two days after the massacre. The official count is 347, but many believe the true number of the dead is much higher.
Determined to uncover the truth, this reporter visited the presumed site of the mass grave at Batul Muslim Cemetery near Mando, Kaduna. Accompanied by Mallam Ahmad Abdullahi Mando, a silent witness to that grim night, we stepped onto the sacred grounds where so many lives were discarded like refuse. Ahmad recounted how he tracked the vehicles transporting the bodies, pointing to the exact spot where he witnessed the burial.
Satellite images from November and December 2015 reveal evidence of disturbed earth—a haunting testament to the massacre. These images, examined by Amnesty International, laid bare the enormity of the tragedy and compelled the JCI to conclude its report.
This reporter got the exact coordinates of the site of the mass grave, verified the claims, and found glaring evidence fitting the timeline.
347 IMN members’ Mass Grave in Batul Muslim Cemetery near Mando (outside Kaduna town) Satellite images show evidence of disturbed earth before and after the mass grave was dug. Credit: Google Earth Pro
Families still live in tears over dishonourable mass burial
Dr Bukhari Jega, PhD, a lecturer at the University of Abuja, was killed alongside his wife and only daughter, 18-month-old Batoul. Fatima Muhammad Sani, a 29-year-old widow from Zaria, lost her husband just a year into their marriage. Her brother was also killed, leaving her to raise her daughter alone. Her co-wife, Hauwau Ibrahim, aged 40, shares the same unbearable grief. These women are trapped in a cycle of sorrow, struggling to rebuild their lives without their loved ones.
Engr. Abdullahi Muhammad Musa, younger brother of Mallam Zaki, vividly recalls the horrific events. He watched people being burned alive, and others shot at close range at their temple, “Hussainiyya.” His own narrow escape feels like a cruel twist of fate. Serving as a Corps member in Kwara at the time, he returned to Zaria for the annual occasion, only to find himself bound and taken to a barracks’ guard room after a soldier questioned his presence.
The Struggle for Justice
No one has been held accountable for the killings. Families interviewed share a common anguish—the absence of justice. The pain of not being able to lay their loved ones to rest haunts them, adding to their already profound grief and trauma. The JCI report called for the prosecution of those responsible, but these recommendations have never been implemented.
Balarabe Lawal, the then secretary to the Kaduna state government, testified that at least 347 people were killed and buried in mass graves. Yet, no soldier has been brought to justice, and the government has failed to fulfil its promise of justice for the victims and their families.
This reporter also contacted the state government for updates on the possible prosecution of the perpetrators, but the state refused to respond.
Military silence
Barrister Haruna Magashi, Sheikh Zakzaky’s lawyer, has been fighting for justice since 2015. The legal proceedings have faced numerous obstacles and delays, but he remains committed to pursuing every legal avenue.
“The case has encountered numerous obstacles and delays, hindering progress towards achieving justice for the victims and their families,” he says, but his determination is unwavering.
Efforts to obtain a response from the Army have been met with silence. Multiple calls and messages to Major General Onyema Nwachukwu, who serves as the Nigerian Army’s spokesperson, were not picked up or returned. An official letter was also sent to the Chief of Army Staff, following claims that only he could grant such a request to speak on the matter, but until press time, the reporter received no reply. This silence leaves a significant gap in addressing the accountability that the affected families and the broader community desperately seek.
Was the case closed?
Magashi, who has been at the forefront of handling the legal proceedings since 2015, provided an update on the case’s current status.
He stated that they have since withdrawn from the Judicial Commission of Inquiry (JCI) when their request to present the IMN leader at the panel was declined. However, following Sheikh Zakzaky’s release, they are actively pursuing efforts to ensure justice is served.
Despite these setbacks, Barrister Magashi affirmed their unwavering commitment to pursuing legal avenues and advocating for accountability up to the International Criminal Court (ICC).
Seeking clarity on the status of the case from the police and their role, this reporter reached out to the Kaduna Police Command. After explaining the purpose of the inquiry, a top official in the Public Relations department who craved anonymity declined to comment on the matter. He simply stated, “We cannot speak on this issue because they are a proscribed group, no need to talk on a ‘proscribed’ group, and we are not involved in any case with the IMN.”
Claims of Additional Mass Graves
The IMN has compiled a list of over 800 missing individuals since the massacre. Sheikh Elzakzaky has repeatedly asserted the existence of about ten additional mass graves. Barrister Magashi confirmed these claims but stated that the locations of these graves would not be disclosed until the current government’s stance is assessed. Without clear evidence, these claims risk being dismissed as misinformation, complicating the pursuit of truth and justice.
The JCI Revelations & Death of Key Witness
The JCI’s 193-page report reveals significant yet unaddressed details about the massacre. Dr. Shuaibu Musa, Chairman of the Medical Advisory Committee at the Barau Dikko Hospital, witnessed bodies being brought in and evacuated. This journalist contacted him, and an interview was scheduled to detail his account. Sadly, Dr. Musa passed away on June 6, 2024, before he could share his full account.
According to a DW report, Lawal Khalid, chief of a hospital in Zaria, reported receiving 60 bodies, but verifying the death toll was impossible due to the military lockdown. Premium Times reported that 156 corpses from Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital and 191 from the Nigerian Army Depot in Zaria were transported to a mass grave in Mando. The mass burial, conducted under state supervision, took place on December 14 and 15.
Zaria After December 2015
In the aftermath, Zaria has undergone significant changes. Road blockages and restrictions have been lifted, offering a sense of relief to residents. However, the absence of justice for the massacre victims continues to cast a long shadow over the city. The need for accountability and closure remains a pressing issue, with the community still grappling with the trauma of that dark day.
The Zaria massacre is an open wound that continues to bleed into the lives of those left behind. The absence of justice deepens the pain of the affected families. As they fight for recognition and redress, the need for transparency and closure becomes ever more urgent. The journey to uncover the truth and seek justice for the victims and their families is far from over. Their voices demand to be heard, and their pain calls for justice.
This reporting was completed with the support of the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development and the Open Society Foundations.
