Army Attack Leaves Nigerian Shiite Leader Near-Blind

 Nigeria’s Shiite Muslims has been left near-blind and underwent several operations to remove bullets

The detained leader of Nigeria’s Shiite Muslims has been left near-blind and underwent several operations to remove bullets from when he was shot in an army raid on his home, a human rights lawyer said Friday.

Lawyer Femi Falana spoke after he was granted access to Ibraheem Zakzaky for the first time since he and his wife, Zeenat Ibraheem, were detained in December and denied access to their doctors and family.

Hundreds of other Shiites also are detained and some have died for lack of medical care, the Shiite movement has said.

Human rights groups say the military killed hundreds of them over three days in northern Zaria town. The Shiites, a minority believed to number about 5 million, last week petitioned the International Criminal Court to investigate the alleged military killings of nearly 1,000 Shiites, calling them crimes against humanity.