The Islamic Movement of Nigeria, popularly known as the Shiite group, has disputed claims by the Federal Capital Territory Police Command that its members killed a security operative and injured two during the clash that erupted on Friday as a result of their procession.
The IMN also said the death of six of its members had been confirmed for the moment, adding that 380 of its members, including women and children, were arrested and being detained by the police, as against the 109 the police stated.
The FCT command spokesman, Josephine Adeh, in a statement on Friday, said the Commissioner of Police, Ajao Adewale, condemned the unprovoked assault on security operatives by the Shiites who were armed with firearms, cutlasses, catapults, sticks, stones, and petrol bombs.
She said the confrontation led to intense gunfire, leaving two security operatives severely injured and one confirmed dead at the National Hospital.
“19 suspects have been arrested in connection with this incident, while others managed to escape. Normalcy has since been fully restored, and investigations are ongoing to ensure that all perpetrators are brought to justice, ” She added.
However, addressing journalists on Saturday in Abuja, the Resource Forum of the IMN, led by Prof. Abdullahi Danladi, alleged that security agents were hiding the bodies of those killed in unknown locations.
“The police might have said they arrested 19 of our members but reliable information confirmed that the Guard Brigade and the police arrested 380 protesters, including women and children, and six people were confirmed martyred. Those arrested are being detained at SARS Abbator, Guzape, Abuja, and those that reached martyrdom include Shaheed Ibraheem Dalhat (Sharif Albani), Shaheed Nasir Abubakar, Shaheed Abdulaziz Abubakar, and Shaheed Auwal Abbas Bichi among others,” Danladi said
“However, the security agents are hiding casualties and other corpses of those who passed away in unknown places, thus, the number of casualties and corpses with the Guard Brigade and the Police is still unknown. Nevertheless, we will update the public in due course.”
He also dismissed the police’s accusations that the group was armed with dangerous weapons, describing it as a cover-up.
Danladi said, “They said we came with dangerous weapons, they have every reason to say what they want to say to defend their crimes. But it is a known fact that the IMN has been carrying out our activities for over 40 years. Whenever we gather, we gather and disperse peacefully, but it is only when the police or security operatives attack us that you hear about casualties. We don’t kill or injure security operatives. In fact, it is not in our character rather we fight for their rights and those of the citizens. We don’t kill or injure anybody, we make life easier for everybody.”
He, however, demanded the unconditional release of their arrested members and the prosecution of those responsible for the deaths of their members.
“Given the foregoing, we are demanding for unconditional release of all those arrested in connection with the 2025 Abuja International Quds procession held on 28 March 2025. We are also demanding the prosecution of those responsible for the killings of the free Palestine protesters.”
Speaking on the proscription of the movement, Danladi stated that the matter was still being challenged in court, arguing that even if a ban were in place, it would not justify the alleged extrajudicial killings.
He said, “On the issue of banning the activities of the Shiite, the matter is still in court as I speak to you. Let’s assume the activities of an organization are banned, does that give a license that anybody working for the organization should be shot dead? “
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