Abuja, the Nigerian capital was rocked yesterday as the members of the Shi’ite group, the Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN) whose leader Ibrahim Zakzaky has been jailed since December 2015 engaged the police in bloody clashed with one person confirmed dead, over 20 injured and 115 arrested.
The group was protesting the continued detention of their leader by the federal government. The group had embarked on a daily sit-out in demand for the release of their leader but the melee broke out when the police refused them.
The police in a statement issued in Abuja by its spokesman, Anjuguri Manzah, the FCT Police Command denied the culpability of the incident.
“The FCT Police Command restored normalcy at parts of Maitama following a violent protest by members of the El-Zakzaky Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN)who went on rampage on Monday, 16th April, 2018 and were attacking innocent citizens, disrupting business activities, obstructing traffic movement and smashing windscreen of innocent citizens’ vehicles in the affected areas.
“Following the unfortunate incident which also resulted in the destruction of some government and Police operational vehicles, the members of the Shiite group also injured twenty-two (22) police personnel during the protest.
“Exhibits recovered: catapults, iron bars, stones, ball bearings and pink headbands.
“One hundred and fifteen (115) members of the sect were arrested at the scene by Police operatives. Joint Team of detectives from the Command in conjunction with operatives from the IGP Monitoring Unit has commenced investigation into the incident. The arrested suspects will be charged to court upon the conclusion of investigation.
“The FCT Police Command hereby warn members of Shiites movement from further disrupting the peace, harmony and free flow of traffic in FCT.
“This is to also to urge the members of the public particularly parents not to allow their children or wards to be used as instrument of violence in any demonstration by any group that could jeopardize public peace and harmony. It is therefore imperative to state that anyone caught in the act of violent demonstration or any act capable of causing the breach of public peace will be made to face the wrath of the law.
“Meanwhile, the Command wishes to state that contrary to speculations from some sections of the media, no life was lost in the violent protest as the Police operatives deployed to quell the protest were professional in handling the situation.”
