The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Command of the Nigeria Police Force paraded 94 members of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN), commonly known as Shi’ites, on Wednesday, following their alleged involvement in a violent confrontation with security personnel in Abuja on Sunday.
The clash, which took place during a religious procession, led to the deaths of three police officers and left several others injured.
According to the FCT Commissioner of Police, Benneth Igweh, the altercation occurred when members of the IMN launched an unprovoked attack on police officers stationed at Wuse market junction.
The officers, who were from various divisions, were reportedly assaulted with dangerous weapons, including dane-guns, machetes, improvised explosive devices (IEDs), and stones.
“Six police personnel were attacked by the suspects wielding dane-guns, machetes, IEDs, and stones,” Igweh stated.
“They were rushed to Muhammadu Buhari Police Hospital where ASP Innocent Agabi and Inspector Alex Odeh were confirmed dead by medical doctors on duty. Four other officers remain in critical condition.”
The commissioner further revealed that the IMN members also set fire to three police patrol vehicles and caused significant damage to another.
The police arrested 94 members of the IMN, including young men, women, and even infants who were allegedly involved in the confrontation.
Igweh added that the arrested individuals are currently in police custody, and interrogations are ongoing.
He assured the public that the suspects would be charged to court once the investigations are concluded.
“Interrogations are ongoing, and suspects will be charged to court at the conclusion of investigations,” Igweh confirmed.
The clash has raised concerns about the ongoing tensions between the Nigerian authorities and the IMN, which has been proscribed by the government.
The IMN has frequently clashed with security forces, particularly in the FCT, during their religious processions and protests demanding the release of their leader, Sheikh Ibrahim El-Zakzaky.
In a swift reaction to the police’s allegations, Abdullahi Musa, the leader of the IMN procession in Abuja, strongly denied that their members were responsible for the violence.
He claimed that the group was conducting a peaceful religious procession to commemorate Imam Husain (AS), a revered figure in Shiite Islam, when they were attacked by police officers in plain clothes.
Musa asserted that the police, without any provocation, opened fire on the unarmed members of the IMN, leading to the confrontation that ensued.
“Our members were unarmed and only participating in a religious procession. The police, dressed in plain clothes, began shooting at us without warning,” Musa said.
He also accused the police of attempting to frame the IMN for the violence to justify their ongoing crackdown on the group.
The IMN has long maintained that their activities are peaceful and that they are being unfairly targeted by the Nigerian authorities due to their religious beliefs and their calls for justice for their detained leader.
The movement, led by Sheikh Ibrahim El-Zakzaky, has been a focal point of controversy in Nigeria for several years.
The group advocates for the establishment of an Islamic state in Nigeria, following the teachings of Iran’s Islamic Revolution.
This stance has brought them into conflict with the Nigerian government, which has accused the group of fomenting unrest and posing a threat to national security.
In 2015, a deadly clash between IMN members and the Nigerian Army in Zaria, Kaduna State, led to the deaths of hundreds of IMN members, including El-Zakzaky’s sons.
The Federal Government subsequently banned the group in 2019, labelling it a terrorist organisation.
Since then, the IMN has continued to hold protests and religious processions, often resulting in confrontations with security forces.
The IMN has repeatedly called for the release of Sheikh El-Zakzaky, who has been in government custody since 2015, despite various court orders for his release.
