Protests by the Islamic Movement in Nigeria, IMN, (a.k.a Shi’ites) yesterday, assumed a dangerous dimension, claiming the lives of a Deputy Commissioner of Police, DCP, and no fewer than six members of the group. Three police officers are said to be in critical condition following a bloody clash between the Islamic sect and security forces, yesterday in Abuja, the nation’s capital.
The disaster, which took place within the precincts of the Federal Secretariat Complex, also left a journalist with a popular TV station battling for his life after he was hit by a stray bullet.
This happened as the IMN , (a.k.a Shi’ites) said its members could protest in any part of the country and dared any one to stop them.
The latest clash, aside from compelling President Muhammadu Buhari to summon Inspector-General of Police, Adamu Mohammed, to the Presidential Villa to get an update on the clash, also forced the Senate president, Ahmad Lawan, to postpone a scheduled meeting with the leadership of non-academic staff unions of universities over the strike notice issued by them on earned allowances the Federal Government has refused to settle.
It was gathered that members of the IMN, otherwise known as Shi’ites, had gathered at NITEL Junction in Wuse II district for a march to the Federal Secretariat complex in protest against the continued detention of their leader, Sheikh Ibrahim El-Zakzaky and his wife, Zeenat, by the government.
However, their street demonstration was interrupted around the Zone hosting the three organs of the Federal Government by armed security personnel, who cordoned off the area, preventing the protesters from continuing their planned protest.
In the ensuing melee, sporadic gunshots were fired to disperse the protesters, while several vehicles belonging to the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, in the vicinity were set ablaze.
Abdullahi Musa, Secretary of IMN’s Academic Forum, claimed: “The police opened fire on our members, killed a lot of them, and injured many others. As we speak, we have lifted six corpses of our members.
“The police took away some dead bodies too. Several others who came out to protest today are yet to be accounted for. So, we are expecting the number of those killed to rise by nightfall.”
The latest IMN protest claimed its highest profile victim yet, as Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of Operations at FCT Command was shot dead.
Sources disclosed that DCP Usman Umar, who is in charge of operations in Federal Capital Territory, FCT Command, was killed by the protesters while trying to stop the protest.
Consequently, security was beefed up at Force Headquarters to prevent reprisal attacks over the arrest of scores of the protesters, who are demanding the release of their spiritual sect leader, Sheik Ibrahim El-Zakzaky.
Armoured tanks, Police dogs and Mobile policemen were also deployed all around the Force Headquarters, while visitors were not allowed into the premises except those on appointment.
The entire force Headquarters was in a mourning mood yesterday, following the killing of the DCP, who was a former Principal Staff Officer to former IGP, Ibrahim Kpotum Idris.
Musa, however, denied that members of the sect confronted the police before the shootings began.
“We began our protest from NITEL junction. On arrival at the Federal Secretariat, we were preparing to say our prayers there and disperse peacefully when the police fired live bullets towards our members to forcibly disperse us,” he said.
He also blamed the police for the destruction of public properties in the course of the pandemonium that broke out after the shootings, saying “we didn’t set any vehicle or the outpost of NEMA ablaze as alleged.
“For goodness sake, we were unarmed. But we know the authorities have been attempting to blackmail us and curry the sympathy of the masses against IMN and Sheikh El-Zakzaky.
“We are also aware the police have been deploying mercenaries in mufti to infiltrate our gatherings and cause mayhem in our name. But the Nigerian people are already feeling oppressed by government forces.
“The government can’t get the public sympathy they are hoping to get with these antics because agents of these administration are committing crimes against humanity.
“Any act of civil violence witnessed today (yesterday) was an afterthought committed by the police through paid mercenaries to justify the shooting of innocent and unarmed citizens.”
The Muslim sect had last week clashed with the Police which resulted in several deaths, injuries and destruction of vehicles in the National Assembly.
Against that background, Police restricted all street protests to the Unity Fountain in Abuja.
But IMN, (a.k.a Shi’ites) in defying the police order, vowed to continue their street demonstrations in the FCT until the government obeyed a 2016 order of the Federal High Court, Abuja, for the unconditional release of Sheikh El-Zakzaky, as well as the payment of compensation to the tune of N50 million for his illegal detention.
Meanwhile, the IMN , (a.k.a Shi’ites) has warned anyone planning to restrict them from embarking on further protests to shelve the idea.
IMN added that no one can stop them from embarking on procession in any part of the country, including Lagos and other South-West states, saying, the only condition to stop their protests was the release of their leader and his wife.
Following the protest, President Muhammadu Buhari and the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Mohammed Adamu, met behind closed doors, yesterday at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Buhari at the meeting directed the IGP to take steps to protect all Nigerians wherever they might be.
Speaking at the end of the meeting, the IGP said: “We came this morning (yesterday) to brief Mr. President on the security situation in the country, especially the activities of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria, and to give him an update on what is happening in the country vis-a-vis their activities.
“Specifically we briefed him on the incessant acts of lawlessness coming out of this group of people, protesting here and there. We briefed him on the fact that we have been able to curtail their excesses and to let him understand that everything is under control.”
On the President’s reaction, the IGP said: “The President asked us to make sure we provide security for every citizen of this country and not to leave any space that some group of people will cause a breakdown of law and order. So, the charge by Mr. President is that we must provide security for every Nigerian”.
