Several shots of tear gas and live bullets were fired on Wednesday to disperse tens of thousands of members of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN) popularly known as Shi’ites protesting the continuous incarceration and arraignment of their leader, Sheikh Zakanya.
The protest saw the aggrieved members, file out in a daring manner, carrying placards which bore several inscriptions.
The protest turned violent around the Lagos Street Roundabout also on Ahmadu Bello Way, when combined security forces came in trucks, firing shots to disperse the protesters.
Our Correspondent gathered that a police officer was injured, while three alleged Shi’ite members were apprehended and whisked away by security personnel.
As at time of filing this report, there has been no official statement from authorities regarding casualties or arrests.
Meanwhile, two journalists, Jacob Onjewu Dickson, the Online Editor of New Nigerian Newspapers and Bosanquet of Galaxy Television were detained in the course of covering the protest.
They were taken to Sabon Gari Police Division were they were held for hours.
They have however been released, after the arrival of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Kaduna State Council, Comrade Adamu Yusuf and other senior excos and veteran journalists from the council.
In a statement circulated by IMN, signed by Sheikh Abdulhamid Bello Zaria, the group demanded that Sheikh Zakzaky and his wife alongside hundreds of members in detention be released in the interest of peace.
The statement said that they believe in Allah that Zakzaky’s case that comes up on Thursday June 21, in Kaduna.
