The report reaching us now suggests that many Shiite members have been injured, and some allegedly shot dead as they clashed with Police in Abuja during a protest where they were singing and demanding for the release of their leader from detention.
The Shiite members who operate under the name Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN) were said to have on Monday marched in their numbers from the popular and ever busy Nitel junction and were expected to end at the Federal Secretariat in Abuja to protest the unconditional release of their leader, Ibraheem El-Zakzaky. It was also reported that the Police sensing their intention, tried stopping them, and as usual, the move turned violent as they engaged the police while also destroying public properties in the area, one of them being the vehicles belonging to Emergency Management Agency (NEMA).
The Monday protest by the Shiite members is coming a few days after President Muhammadu Buhari told them that he has left the Court to determine the fate of their leader, Ibraheem El-Zakzaky and his wife. It also comes two weeks after two Shiite members were allegedly killed and two police officers injured after a similar protest turned violent at the National Assembly complex in Abuja.
Following the violent protest at the National Assembly, the police last week directed that protests in Abuja be limited the Unity Fountain, near Transcorp Hilton hotel, Abuja.
That directive appears not to have deterred the Shiites who demand that Mr El-Zakzaky and his wife Zeenah be released.
No official statement yet from the Nigerian Police, as figures are flying as to the number of people injured and killed…we await the statement from the Police to confirm the incident and what actually happened.