Unic Press UK: A demonstration Monday in Nigeria’s capital city Abuja by Shiite Muslims descended into chaos/violence, leading to gun shots and the death of a high-ranked Police officer, a Channels TV reporter, and some members of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN).
The protesters are demanding the release of the leader of the IMN, Ibrahim El Zakzaky, who is being held in prison custody since December 2015 despite several Court orders for his release.
In a video seen by Unic Press UK correspondence, guns shots could be heard, though it is unclear whether the Nigerian Police or the Military had used live or rubber bullets against the protesters. The Nigerian security forces also used tear-gas canisters to control/disperse the Shiites.
Reuters reports that a spokesman for the IMN claims that 11 people were killed, and over 30 injured; alleging that the Police attacked a peaceful march by IMN members who are demanding that Shiite cleric Ibrahim Zakzaky be freed.
The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) said it lost two vehicles when the protesters attacked its office in the Federal Secretariat in Abuja.
“This is to confirm that the Emergency Response and Ambulance Bays (ERABs) of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) located on Ahmadu Bello Way beside the Federal Secretariat was attacked today with two vehicles burnt down. Members of Islamic Movement of Nigeria commonly known as Shi’ites carried out the attack.The two burnt vehicles were the Mobile Intensive Care Unit (MICU), which is a life support ambulance and a multi-purpose Response Intervention Van (Rescue Tender),” NEMA wrote on Twitter.
Damages caused to #NEMA ERABs. pic.twitter.com/XeUsiMj0yu
— NEMA Nigeria (@nemanigeria) July 22, 2019
When the IMN clashed with the Nigerian Army in December 2015 in Kaduna, 347 members of the Islamic group were killed according to the Kaduna State government. It was soon after the gory event of December 2015 that Ibrahim El Zakzaky was arrested.
