Onyocha:
[b]i have watched the video released showing army officers asking Shites to clear the road. It is obvious that the Shiite followers of Zakzaky mistrust the army because of last year's tragic incident under the Jonathan administration, when three of Zakzaky's sons were killed and thirty members of his Islamic Movement in Nigeria.

Undoubtedly, the army can claim anything after watching this video. Both sides could have avoided this incident by letting go their ego. The Shiites brought death upon themselves by blocking the road and confronting soldiers who don't value civilian life and play by democratic rules. This was suicidal in my view on the side of the Shiites.The Zakzaky followers provoked the soldiers going by this video. We however don't know what the soldiers mission was on that road and if the sect members felt threatened or thought the soldiers were on their way going to kill their leaders so they blocked the road and insisted not to clear. There is need for more details especially that the video is cut at one point.

However, let us go by the narration and video we have at hand. The soldiers have "protected" themselves, refused to turn back and cleared the way and have killed those blocking the road.at this point, it is still a road blocking clash and things have happened.

What is left to be understood is after the soldiers have cleared the way, why did they proceed to the Hussainiyyah and shot at sight and destroy the Islamic center? Why did they also go ahead to destroy the sheikh's house and shoot him and his family members? After the road blocking incident, the soldiers continued on the rampage on three different locations synonymous with the Islamic movement in Nigeria, far away from the road blocking incident location. More or less, it was revenge attacks and "lesson teaching" mission by soldiers. The Zakzaky followers were too overzealous and bold to confront the army and they are wrong to display stones, machetes and sticks in front of armed soldiers. That incident has passed. Why did the soldiers continue the attacks and extra judicial killings? I expect them to exercise restraint. And even if the sheikh was to be cautioned, the police or other ways should have been employed to caution him or even arrest him in a democratic dispensation.

So clearly, the video explains the trigger and the mistrust and misunderstanding that happened and both sides lost it and the movement members more or less committed suicide.

After the road block wahala had ended, the soldiers totally lost it and took law into their hands and went on revenge attacks and extra judicial killings. Things are not done like that in democracy. There is police and rule of law.

That is my opinion and you may agree or disagree. What is on ground is pitiful. Hundreds have been killed and properties destroyed. Many homes have been wounded.

May the dead RIP!

We hope justice will prevail and impunity will not continue. Had Jonathan done the needed last year when three of the sheikh's sons were killed along thirty others, a lasting solution could have been found to end the problem of road blocks and mistrust. There is need for confidence building measures and trust with the Islamic Movement in Nigeria to be put in place by the government to reassure everyone that no one is target simply for their beliefs or what they practice and then look for ways of cooperation and understanding to avoid any future mistrust or tragedy.[/b]