Many Feared Dead as Shiite Protest Turns Violent in Abuja

Many people were feared dead during Monday’s protest by members of Islamic Movement of Nigeria, also known as Shiite group, in Abuja.

Eyewitnesses said Police shot and killed some members of the Islamist group when they marched on Eagle Square and Federal Secretariat demanding for the release of their spiritual leader, Sheikh Ibrahim Elzakzaky, who has been in detention since 2016.

A journalist with a TV station was also hit by a stray bullet.

A number of Shiite members were arrested by the Police during the mêlée.

Around the Federal Secretariat where the protest went awry, the protesters confronted law enforcement agencies, pelted them with stones and petrol bombs, before setting the National Emergency Management Agency fire service centre beside the Ministry of Foreign Affairs ablaze.

When THISDAY visited the scene of the protest, the corpses of some of the dead protesters were still at various spots before the Police came to pick them up.

Eye witness who spoke on the circumstance that led to the copse beside the Foreign Affairs Ministry said: “After they had set the NEMA fire station ablaze, the boy with a red band on his head who was shot dead stayed back and was throwing petrol bomb into the Ministry of Foreign Affairs premises with the hope to set vehicles ablaze.

“Even when he was first shot he did not stop, he continued throwing the petrol bomb, this time around at police officers, until a police officer shot him dead.”

Combat ready men of the Nigeria Police succeeded at dispersing the adamant protesters while several arrests were made at the scene.