Members of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN) also known as Shi‘ite said the number of their members killed has risen to seven while over 40 sustained varying degrees of injuries during the clash that ensued at a procession in celebration of the International Quds Day.
The sect said five of their members were killed in Kaduna while two were killed in Zaria on Friday 5th April, 2024 during the procession.
But the Kaduna State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), ASP Mansir Hasan denied the allegations of killing any of the IMN members but instead said three of their officers sustained injuries following an attack from the Shiite members, adding that the injured officers have been taken to the hospital for treatment.
He said no live ammunition was used to disperse the processing Shiite members, adding that only tear gas was fired at the sect to disperse them.
Addressing a press conference in Kaduna yesterday, the IMN group reiterated that the International Quds Day is an annual day of solidarity with Palestinians and the oppressed people of the world which is normally held on the last Friday of the holy month of Ramadan as instructed by late Ayyatullah Ruhullah Khomeini (QS).
„It is normally conducted through rallies and demonstrations held around the world, often following Friday prayers. Being a global phenomenon, it is celebrated in almost all major cities of Iran, America, Europe, Middle East countries, Africa and even in Tel Aviv of the illegal state of Israel.
„In Nigeria, the event has been observed for about forty years in various parts of the country. However, there are occasions when the overzealous government agents trying to conciliate their Zionist masters descend on the peaceful protesters. Most of these barbaric attacks have occurred in Kano, Kaduna and Zaria.”
The statement signed and read by the chairman, Resource Forum of the Islamic Movement, Prof. Abdullahi Danladi, said, „It will be recalled how the then puppet government of the Zionist organized a crime of killing 35 people in Zaria including three biological children of Sheikh Ibraheem Zakzaky in July, 2014.
„The well-organized peaceful demonstration staged by unarmed men, women, children and even the physically challenged, to commiserate with the Palestinians and condemn the genocide being perpetrated by Israel in Gaza, the police with full combat-ready force came in tens of vehicles carrying heavy arms and clamped down on the peaceful demonstrators.
„As a result of the crime committed by supposed to be law enforcement agents, 7 innocent persons were killed (5 in Kaduna and 2 in Zaria), including minors, and over 40 persons injured, with some in very critical conditions. Those killed include: Mahamud Umar, Ibrahim Rabiu, Haidar Ishaq, Mustapha Buruku, Ahmad Mustafa, Mustapha Adam and Ammar Abdullahi Jahadee.
„The story is not different from Zaria, where the Quds day procession was carried out in two phases. The first was carried out in the morning hours of Friday 5th April, 2024 in Zaria city, witnessed the presence of a combination of Nigerian Army and the Police who were battle ready for war. However, Allah restrained their arms from shedding the blood of the innocents. The second phase of the procession that took place after Friday prayers in Sabon Gari of Zaria was violently attacked leaving two people martyred with several others with life threatening degrees of injuries“.
The Shiite group said they wished the security agents would use such force on the kidnappers and bandits having a field day in the country and comb them out of the bushes to allow the citizens some peace and security.
They also demanded that the perpetrators of these crimes be fished out and punished accordingly adding that they are Muslims and citizens of Nigeria and have the right to conduct their religious duties as ordained by Allah.
The police spokesperson said, „We got the information that the members of the proscribed IMN were going to hold a massive protest in the state and the command deployed its men to most of the strategic places to stop them from blocking the road, especially Ahmadu Bello Way Kaduna.
“On sighting our men deployed there, the IMN members started throwing stones, firing catapults, and locally made guns against our men which led to three of our men sustaining injuries and now receiving treatment at a police clinic,” he said.
He said the police used teargas to disperse them, which also led to the arrest of eight suspects.
He listed the items recovered from the suspects to include; three locally fabricated guns, catapults and other dangerous locally-made weapons.
On the alleged killing of four IMN members, the PPRO denied the allegation, asking where the bodies of those killed were.
“If they claimed four of their members were killed, where are the bodies and which hospital were they taken to? How can we identify them, our men didn‘t use live ammunition but only used teargas to disperse them,” he said.