- Widows of the 2015 Zaria clash lamented their hardships without breadwinners, sharing their struggles during the annual commemoration in Zaria
- The event highlighted ongoing socio-economic challenges faced by families of victims, calling for justice and support nearly a decade after the incident
Widows of the 2015 clash between the Nigerian Army and members of the Sheikh Ibrahim Zakzaky-led Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN) have lamented the hardships they face without their breadwinners.
Speaking through tears during the 9th annual commemoration of the incident in Zaria, the widows recounted the socio-economic challenges they endured following the deaths of their husbands and family providers.
The tragic event occurred on December 12, 2015, when IMN members, also known as Shiites, clashed with the convoy of the then Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Tukur Buratai.
The sect members, who had occupied a major highway in Zaria for a Maulud celebration, were reportedly involved in a confrontation with soldiers clearing the route.
One widow, speaking anonymously, shared her plight: “Soldiers killed my husband on that fateful day for no just cause. Today, I have no breadwinner. I struggle to take care of my children alone, and it has been very difficult.”
The chief organizer of the commemoration, Mohammed Abubakar Abdullahi, explained that the event aims to draw public sympathy for the victims of what he described as the “Zaria massacre.”
He added that the memorial, initially scheduled for December 2024, was postponed to January 2025.
The widows’ stories highlight the lingering pain and economic struggles faced by the families of the victims nearly a decade after the clash—their plea calls for justice, support, and acknowledgement of their plight.
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