Members of Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN), popularly known as Shiites, on Monday dared the Nigerian police. They staged a massive protest at the nation’s capital Abuja to mark the fifth anniversary of the massacre of their members by the Nigerian Army in Zaria, Kaduna State.
The demonstrators stormed Wuse Market chanting anti-government songs to demand the release of their leader, Ibraheem El-zakzaky, who has been held since December 2015.
The sect also distributed some leaflets to passersby which contained information on how unarmed members of the sect were murdered by soldiers.
The group said the demonstration was aimed to honour and remember hundreds of their members who died during a violent clash with the convoy of Chief of Army Staff, Yusuf Buratai.
The Spokesperson for the group, Abdullahi Musa who recounted the tragic incident, said nobody was spared during the massacre including children, women and the elderly.
He said: “Even pregnant women and nursing mothers were not at all relieved from such wanton brutality. Some women, so heavily pregnant, delivered of their babies under duress.
“Children were moving about crying in search of their parents, some even clutching them, having been killed beforehand. Soldiers did not refrain from harming such toddlers. It was a sad and disgusting spectacle,” he said.
The demonstration ended at Berger Roundabouts, where armed police officers had gathered to prevent the group from advancing further into the city.
