At least three people were killed and many others injured on Saturday in Kaduna following clashes between Nigerian soldiers and members of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria, IMN, a Shiite sect.

However, both sides have given conflicting accounts of what happened.

While the Nigerian Army claimed that members of the sect attacked the convoy of the Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buratai, forcing his security details to defend him, the sect said that soldiers shot at and killed defenceless members after the army chief’s convoy had passed their location..

A statement issued by Sani Kukasheka Usman, the army spokesman, said that Buratai was ambushed and attacked on the orders of the sect’s leader, Ibrahim Alzak-zaky

“The Shite sect on the orders of their leader, Ibrahim Alzak-zaky  today afternoon in Zaria attacked the convoy of the Chief of Army Staff while on his way to pay homage on the Emir of Zazzau and attend the Passing Out Parade of 73 Regular Recruits Intake of Depot Nigerian Army, Zaria,” the army alleged in the statement.
Usman said that hundreds of the sect’s members “carrying dangerous weapons barricaded the roads with bonfires, heavy stones and tyres”, adding that the road block “was obviously a deliberate attempt to assassinate the Chief of Army Staff and members of his entourage.”

“The troops responsible for the safety and security of the Chief of Army Staff on hearing explosion and firing were left with no choice than to defend him and the convoy at all cost as well as open up the barricaded road for law abiding citizens,” Usman explained.

However, the Shite sect has denied that the convoy of the army chief was attacked, claiming that soldiers unleashed an unprovoked violent attack on its members who were gathered at a ceremony.

In a statement issued on Saturday evening, IMN stated that “any report of CLASH between brothers and Nigerian soliders or ATTACK on the convoy of COAS , as given by some media,   is also untrue as nothing like a clash or attack but a crackdown on a defenceless people by blood thirsty soldiers.”

“The attack on the defenseless people by the Nigerian Soldiers is unprovoked. The Claim by the Army raises series of questions in the mind of right thinking people. The armless Muslims gathered for ceremony at Husainiyyah, as usual to change the flag on the dome of Husainiyyah, heralding the beginning of the month of R/Auwal- the birth month of the Prophet Muhammad Peace and blessing of Allah be upon him and his household,” it said further.

The sect said that the attack on its members was premeditated as troops had laid siege to Husainiyah Baqiyyatullah with armoured personnel carriers before they opened fire on “defenceless people.”

The IMN said that three people have been confirmed dead but it did not indicate if they are its members.