Kuje Jailbreak: IMN Accuses Army Of Killing ‘Free Zakzaky’ Surrendered Inmate
BY SEGUN ADEBAYO, ABUJA – The Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN) has accused the Nigerian Army of allegedly killing of one of its members, Jibril Usman Sarki, who was an inmate of the Medium Correctional Centre, Kuje, Abuja over Free-Zakzaky protest.
The IMN in a statement on Saturday in Abuja by Dr. Dauda Nalado for its Academic Forum titled; “Army Killed Free-Zakzaky Protester at Kuje Prison,” said that the team of the Nigerian Army that was dispatched to Kuje after the Kuje Correctional Center attack by terrorists on Tuesday, July 5, 2022 led some of the inmates to flee for safety on the street of Kuje.
It said that based on the account of a witness, the explosion that occurred and its attendant magnitude forced hundreds of inmates to hurriedly flee out of the Correctional Center perimeters to save their lives, adding that it was in view of the development that Jubril Usman Sarki with other inmates moved out of the prison.
According to Nalado; “About two hours after the incident, the inmates saw some vehicles of the Nigerian Army patrolling the streets of Kuje town and they decided to meet the Army and seek for protection and assistance towards voluntary return to the prison.
“The eyewitness noted that, the devastated inmates shouted that ‘WE ARE INMATES’, but instead of the needed help, the Army rained bullets on them resulting in the inmates lying on the ground.
“The bullets injured scores and killed many including our brother Jibril Usman Sarki. After the shootings, the Army deposited the injured and corpses of those killed with the Prison Authorities.
“Jibril Usman Sarki is an inmate in Kuje prison awaiting trial before Justice Suleiman Belgore of FCT High Court for allegedly participating in Free-Zakzaky protest that took place on July 22, 2019 at Federal Secretariat, Abuja.
“Sarki was arrested in July, 2019 alongside 62 others. Within a week of their arrest, three protesters died in Police Custody at SARS Abattoir due to torture and lack of medical attention and the Police moved the three corpses to Asokoro District Hospital. Up till this moment, the corpses are yet to be released to their respective families,” he said.
The IMN further said that in spite of the assassination of Sarki, more than 40 Free-Zakzaky protesters being held in the Custodial Centre voluntarily returned to the facility and therefore commended all the 40 inmates for this rare show of restraints after the jail break.
It however said that reliable information reaching IMN indicated that the whereabout of three other Free-Zakzaky protesters is still unknown.
The movement strongly condemned the killing of Jibril Usman Sarki and vow that it would take all necessary legal action against the Nigerian Army.
It further said; “We shall also hold Buhari regime responsible for whatever happens to our brothers that are still missing. While condemning the attack on Kuje prison, we wish to sympathize with all the victims of this unfortunate incident.
“We urged Nigerians to hold Buhari responsible for the great national embarrassment, which attracted nothing but a mere expression of disappointment by a supposed Commander-in-Chief,” it stressed.
Nalado said that based on reports, there was no single Army personnel in the prison 24 hours before the attack on the Correctional Center prison break, adding that it was a clear indication of compromise of the nation’s security thereby endangering the lives of hundreds of inmates.