THE Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN), commonly known as the Shiite, has accused the police of concealing the bodies of its members who were allegedly killed during a clash that broke out on Friday during their procession.
The ICIR reports that a violent clash erupted between security agents and members of the IMN on Friday during a procession marking the International Quds Day near the Banex Roundabout in Wuse 2.
IMN claimed that some of its members were killed during the clash, while the police only confirmed the death of an officer in the incident.
In a statement late Friday, the police announced the arrest of 19 suspected members of the Shiite group.
The FCT command spokesperson, Josephine Adeh, said that Shiite members attacked security operatives, alleging they were armed with firearms, cutlasses, catapults, sticks, stones, and petrol bombs.
She explained that the confrontation led to intense gunfire, leaving two security operatives severely injured and one confirmed dead at the National Hospital.
However, in its latest accusation, the Shiite group claimed that six of its members were killed, while 380 others, including women and children, were arrested and detained by the police.
The Resource Forum of the IMN, led by Abdullahi Danladi, during a press briefing in Abuja on Saturday alleged that security agents were concealing the bodies of those killed in the clash.
“The police might have said they arrested 19 of our members but reliable information confirmed that the Guard Brigade and the police have arrested 380 protesters, including women and children, and six people were confirmed martyred.
“However, the security agents are hiding casualties and other corpses of those who passed away in unknown places, thus, the number of casualties and corpses with the Guard Brigade and the police are still unknown. “Nevertheless, we will update the public in due course,” Danladi said.
He dismissed the police’s claims that group members were armed with dangerous weapons, calling it a cover-up.
“They said we came with dangerous weapons; they have every reason to say what they want to say to defend their crimes. But it is a known fact that the IMN had been carrying out our activities over 40 years. Whenever we gather, we gather and disperse peacefully but it is only when the police or security operatives attack us that you hear about casualties.
“We don’t kill or injure security operatives. In fact, it is not in our character rather we fight for their rights and that of the citizens. We don’t kill or injure anybody, we make life easier for everybody.”
While demanding the unconditional release of the arrested members and the prosecution of those responsible for their deaths, Danladi said the proscription of the movement was still being challenged in court, arguing that even if a ban were in place, it would not justify the alleged extrajudicial killings.
In response to the Shiite group’s claims, Adeh urged them to provide evidence that their members were killed.
She expressed concern that despite the group’s proscription, they repeatedly launched unprovoked attacks on security agents, emphasising that such actions would no longer be tolerated.
“The Shiite group is proscribed; therefore, their activities are illegal. Members of this group are always armed with firearms, cutlasses, catapults, sticks, stones, and petrol bombs and are known for attacking security agents without provocation. This will no longer be tolerated. As for the casualties they claim, let them provide proof.” Adeh said.
The ICIR reports on the last Friday of every Ramadan, Shiites worldwide hold their Quds procession in solidarity with Palestine, which has been engaged in a decades-long conflict with Israel.
Clashes between security forces and the Iran-backed IMN intensified after the 2015 massacre, in which soldiers killed scores of its members.
Their leaders were later arrested and detained for years under the Muhammadu Buhari administration.
In 2019, the Buhari government officially proscribed the group following a court ruling that labeled it as being involved in “acts of terrorism and illegality.”
Nanji is an investigative journalist with the ICIR. She has years of experience in reporting and broadcasting human angle stories, gender inequalities, minority stories, and human rights issues.