#FreeZakzaky: Shiite Protesters Allege Fresh Attack By Police In Abuja

Members of the proscribed Islamic Movement in Nigeria, IMN, were reportedly attacked today in the Federal Capital Territory by the officers of the Nigeria Police Force.

According to the report monitored by Naija News on SaharaReporters, members of the group which is popularly known as Shiites were violently attacked while protesting for the release of their leader and his wife.

Naija News understands that the IMN leader, Sheik Ibrahim El-Zakzaky and his wife, Zeenat have been in detention since December 2015.

Agitating for the freedom of their leader, the Shiite members reportedly embarked on a peaceful and unarmed protest in Abuja but were dispersed by police officers who allegedly use teargas and water cannons on them.

The recent attack was confirmed to newsmen by the Secretary of the Academic Forum of the movement, Abdullahi Musa, Naija News understands.

According to Musa while speaking with newsmen on Thursday, October, members of the group were commemorating the Arba’een symbolic trek, which ends with a march to demand the freedom of El-Zakzaky when the police swooped on them. He noted that the police took over the venue of the protest, but the IMN members moved to another venue to hold the demonstration but the law enforcement agents followed, attacked and arrested many of them.

“We are commemorating the Arba’een symbolic trek which started yesterday and supposed to end today with massive free El-Zakzaky protest within the city but unfortunately the police arrived earlier at the scene where the protest was to start,” Musa stated.

He added that “they occupied the area in Wuse Market and arrested so many innocent passers-by while the protesters moved to Utako Market in Utako District of Abuja.

“The protest started peacefully but at Berger Bridge the police launched the attack without any provocation by the demonstrators. After the attack, we moved to Federal Secretariat and protested and it ended peacefully as the police were busy arresting innocent people around Wuse, Berger and Utako”.

However, the Islamic group has vowed never to be intimidated by the actions of the security agency until El-Zakzaky and his wife are released.

They said, “We call for the unconditional release of our leader Sheikh Ibraheem El-Zakzaky and his wife Zeenah.

“We will continue to protest no matter the attack and arrest by the authorities until the sheikh, his wife and others in detention since December 2015 are set free,” Musa added.

Meanwhile, an officer of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), Obioma O. Obi, has been caught on camera assaulting unarmed #EndSARS protesters.