The Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN), also known as the Shiite group, is rejecting recent reports from the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command, which claimed that their members killed a security officer and injured two others during a violent clash that erupted on Friday amid their procession. Instead, the IMN is demanding accountability for the deaths of six of its members and the wrongful detention of over 380 individuals, including women and children, in connection with the event.
On Friday, FCT Police spokesperson Josephine Adeh stated that the clash between security operatives and Shiite protesters had escalated into gunfire, leaving two security officers severely injured and one dead at the National Hospital. According to Adeh, 19 suspects were arrested, and investigations were underway to bring the perpetrators to justice.
However, the IMN, led by Prof. Abdullahi Danladi, strongly disputes these claims. Speaking to journalists in Abuja on Saturday, Danladi accused the police and the Guard Brigade of hiding the bodies of those killed, alleging that the true number of casualties is much higher than reported. “Reliable sources confirmed that 380 of our members were arrested, not 19, and six of our brothers have been confirmed martyred,” Danladi stated. He named some of the victims as Shaheed Ibraheem Dalhat (Sharif Albani), Shaheed Nasir Abubakar, and Shaheed Auwal Abbas Bichi, among others.
In a direct challenge to the police’s allegations of armed protestors, Danladi described the accusations as a cover-up. “The IMN has been peacefully conducting our gatherings for over 40 years. It’s only when security forces attack us that we experience casualties. We don’t harm or kill anyone, including security operatives,” he asserted.
The group is now demanding the immediate and unconditional release of all detained members and the prosecution of those responsible for the deaths of their supporters. Danladi also addressed the ongoing legal battle surrounding the proscription of the IMN, emphasizing that a ban on the movement should not justify extrajudicial killings of its members.
As the tension continues, the IMN is pledging to keep the public informed about the full extent of the violence and casualties, raising questions about the true nature of the deadly clash and the handling of the situation by authorities.
