No fewer than 20 members of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN), also known as Shiites, have sustained varying degrees of injuries following a clash between them and operatives of the Nigerian Police Force during the group’s procession to mark the International Quds Day.
One of the leaders of the Movement, who addressed journalists at a safe location while the Policemen were still firing gunshots and tear gas cannisters at their members, Engr. Yunusa Lawal, said they were on peaceful processuon as part of the activities marking the international Quds day to say no to the continued illegal occupation of Palestine by aparthied Isreal before the police attacked their members.
According to him, “About 20 of our members suffered varying degrees of injuries with two of them including a woman sustaining gunshot injury, but so far, we cannot ascertain whether there is any casualty or not.
“Apartheid Israel continues its illegal occupation of Palestine. Incessant terror attacks by the Israeli brutal forces are being done frequently. The gross violations of human rights against Palestinians become the order of the day.
“The increase in people’s awareness of the injustice being perpetrated against Palestine and the exposure of atrocities being committed is what we are sensitising people about.
“The Islamic Movement has been observing this event for decades in Nigeria. In fact, one of the reasons for the Buhari massacre in Zaria to kill Sheikh El -Zakzaky and disbanding the Islamic Movement was this support and solidarity for the Palestinians.
“The same Buhari-led government that used the military to inflict the death-threatening injuries on Sheikh Zakzaky and his wife is now denying them their fundamental human rights to health by imposing an illegal ban on their travel documents.
“We condemn the continued incursions into Al-Aqsa mosque and occupation of Palestine by the apartheid Zionist Israel regime and We support the oppressed people of Palestine in their just struggle.
“We also condemn the continued denial of Sheikh Ibraheem Zakzaky and his wife, Muallima Zeenah, their travel passports to enable the couple to travel for medical treatment,” he stressed.
Engr. Lawal recalled how weeks ago, six of their members were killed by Policemen in Kaduna during yet another procession in demand for the release of the passports of their leader, Sheikh El-zazaky and his wife.
However, when Kaduna State Police Command spokesperson, DSP Muhammad Jalige, was called to react to the clash, he did not pick his calls and didn’t respond to text message sent to his phone as at the time of filing this report.
