The proscribed Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN), also known as Shi’ites Group, has insisted that five of its members were killed with 25 others injured in Kaduna on Friday, when Police operatives tried to disperse them during a Pro-Palestine procession also known as Quds International Day.
According to a statement released by the group signed by Aliyu Umar Tirmizhi, a copy of which was made available to journalists in Kaduna on Saturday, IMN said the procession is an annual activity to commemorate the International Quds Day, which is on the last Friday of every month of Ramadan, to show support for the oppressed people of Palestine, who are facing mass genocide perpetrated by Israel.
The statement contained names and was attached with photographs of the bodies of the five deceased IMN members.
He said the activity has been sustained for the past 30 years in major cities of Nigeria and has always been peaceful as other activities engaged in by IMN members over the decades.
“Unfortunately on Friday 6th, 2024, the well organised peaceful demonstration staged by unarmed men, women, children and even the physically challenged, to sympathise with the Palestinians and condemn the genocide being perpetrated by Israel in Gaza, the police with full combat-ready force came in tens of vehicles carrying heavy arms and clamped down on the peaceful demonstration.
“Not minding who were there, they started by throwing teargas and simultaneously shooting sporadically at women, children, physically challenged and men and onlookers present there, without any provocation.
“As a result, they killed five innocent persons, including minors, and injured 25 with some of them in very unstable situation. Those killed include; Mahamud Umar, Ibrahim Rabiu, Haidar Ishaq, Mustapha Buruku, and Ahmad Mustafa,” Tirmizhi stated.
It would be recalled that the Kaduna State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), ASP Mansir Hasan, denied the allegation of killing of any of the IMN member but instead said three Policemen sustained injuries following an attack from the Shi’ite members, adding that the injured officers had been taken to the hospital for treatment.
He said that no live ammunition was used to disperse the processing Shi’ite members.
The PPRO said, “We got the information that the members of the proscribed IMN were going to hold a massive protest in the state and the command deployed its men to most of the strategic places to stop them from blocking the road, especially Ahmadu Bello Way Kaduna.
“On sighting our men deployed there, the IMN members started throwing stones, firing catapults, and locally made guns against our men which led to three of our men sustaining injuries and now receiving treatment at a police clinic,” he said.
He said the police used teargas to disperse the Shi’ite adherents, which also led to the arrest of eight suspects.
He listed the items recovered from the suspects to include; three locally fabricated guns, catapults and other dangerous locally-made weapons.
The PPRO, while denying the allegation of killing the IMN members, had asked the group to prove the claim with the bodies of those killed.
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