Among the dead were five IMN members and one security officer, according to police spokesperson Josephine Adeh.
Six people were killed in a violent clash between Nigerian soldiers and members of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN) in Abuja on Friday, police confirmed. Among the dead were five IMN members and one security officer, according to police spokesperson Josephine Adeh. The Shiite group had taken to the streets for International Quds Day, an annual event in solidarity with Palestinians. Clashes between the IMN and security forces have been common since the military’s crackdown in 2015, which led to the arrest of their leader, Ibraheem El-Zakzaky. Though he has since been released, tensions between the group and the government persist.
IMN spokesperson Sidi Munir Sokoto insisted that their march was peaceful and accused security forces of targeting innocent demonstrators. “This incident is the latest in a series of similar events, where security forces have been abusing their power,” he said. However, police claimed that the protesters were armed with firearms, swords, and catapults, and that security personnel responded to an “intense gunfire” attack. Nineteen people have been arrested, and investigations are ongoing. Amnesty International condemned the military’s use of lethal force, stressing that firearms should not be used to manage protests and urging the Nigerian government to conduct an independent investigation into the deaths.