Nigeria's Chief of Army, Tukur Buratai, has narrowly escpaped being killed in Kaduna state as Muslim sect clashes with soldiers.
Tukur Buratai
The Chief of Army Staff, Lt-Gen. Tukur Buratai, on Saturday, escaped assassination attempt, as members of the Muslim sect, Shiites allegedly attacked his convoy in Zaria, Kaduna State, Vanguard reports.
This came as President Muhammadu Buhari was a guest in Kaduna today, to grace the Kaduna Music Festival, as well as received a honorary award given him by the Kaduna State University (KASU), at its convocation ceremony.
According to Premium Times, several persons are feared dead after soldiers reportedly opened fire on members of the Islamic movement of Nigeria in their Husainiyya base in Zaria, Kaduna state.
A resident of the area, who claimed to have witnessed the incident, said a truckload of soldiers came to the Husainiya area and surrounded it and “all of a sudden we heard gun shots and many people died”.
“The soldiers are still there and they have evacuated some of the corpses while others were taken by the site members” the witness said.
Another witness said more than 20 corpses were laying on the ground.
“The soldiers have killed many people here, possibly up to 20,” he said. “The leader of the sect, Ibrahim El-Zakzaky is leaving his home to where the soldiers are. He is saying he does not care if he is killed too.”
The spokesperson of the Army, Sani Usman, could not be reached for comments at this time.
The News Agency of Nigeria is however quoting Mr.Usman, a colonel, as saying the clash resulted from the assassination attempt on the Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buratai.