ZARIA MASSACRE: KADUNA SET TO INAUGURATE JUDICIAL COMMISSION OF INQUIRY, YUSUF ALI IS COUNSEL

The Judicial Commission of Inquiry into the Zaria clash is to be inaugurated on Friday, January 29, 2016 at 11am.

This was disclosed in a Kaduna State Government statement which also announced the appointment of Yusuf Olaolu Ali, SAN as counsel to the Commission of Inquiry.
Mr Ali was called to the bar in 1983. He graduated with a second class upper degree in Law from the University of Ife in 1982, and became a senior advocate of Nigeria in 1997.
He is a chartered arbitrator and has chaired the NBA section on Legal Practice and the Kwara State Law Reform Committee.
Mr. Ali is also a member of the Body of Benchers.
The Kaduna State Government last week announced the membership of the Judicial Commission of Inquiry into the Zaria clashes. The chairman is Justice Mohammed Lawal Garba, the presiding justice of the Port Harcourt Division of the Court of Appeal. The 12 other members of the commission of inquiry are:

1. Prof. Salihu Shehu – Commissioner. Professor Shehu lectures at the Bayero University, Kano.

2. Prof. Umar Labdo – Commissioner. Professor Labdo teaches in the Faculty of Humanities, Northwest University, Kano.

3. Malam Salihu Abubakar – Commissioner. Malam Abubakar is a former director of the National Agricultural Extension and Research Liaison Services (NAERLS), Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.

4. Prof. Auwalu Yadudu – Commissioner. He is an accomplished professor of Law, and former Special Adviser on Legal Matters during the Abacha government.

5. Prof. Ibrahim Gambari – Commissioner. Professor Gambari is a former minister of Foreign Affairs. He was also Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations, and headed theUN department of Political Affairs. He is often consulted on African Affairs, Peacekeeping and Global Security.

6. Mr. Afakirya Gadzama – Commissioner. Mr. Gadzama, a career intelligence professional, is a former Director-General of the Department of State Services, where he served in various positions, including as Kaduna State director of the agency.

7. Brig-Gen. Aminun-Kano Maude (rtd) – Commissioner. General Maude is a retired Deputy Director, Army Finance and Accounts. He holds a Ph.D in Accountancy.

8. Dr. Jibrin Ibrahim – Commissioner. Dr.Ibrahim is a well-known civil society leader and columnist. He taught politics at the Ahmadu Bello University, and has researched and written about religion.

9. Mrs. Khadijah Hawaja Gambo – Commissioner. Mrs. Gambo is a gender rights activist, social entrepreneur and conflict resolution expert active in Plateau and neighbouring states. She is fluent in Arabic.

10. Mr. Bilya Bala – Commissioner. Mr. Bala is an accomplished banker and journalist. He is currently editor-in-chief of the People’s Dailynewspaper.

11. Maj-Gen Alexander Anjili Mshelbwala – Commissioner. General Mshelbwala is a retired infantry general knowledgeable in civil-military relations and counter-insurgency. He was former Military Secretary of the Nigerian Army.

12. Mrs. Desire Deseye Nsirim CP (Rtd.) – Commissioner. Mrs. Nsirim was a distinguished police officer. She retired after being the commissioner of police of Niger State.

Dr. Bala Babaji has also been appointed the Secretary to the Commission. He is currently the Director of the Centre for Islamic Legal Studies, Institute of Administration of the Ahmadu Bello University. He will be assisted in the discharge of his functions by a secretariat with experts drawn from academia, civil society, private sector and the public service of the state and the Federation.
The Judicial Commission of Inquiry is expected to submit its final report six weeks after its first public sitting.