Four members of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN), also known as Shiites, were feared dead after a clash with the police in Kaduna on Friday.
The incident occurred around 11 a.m. when the IMN members were conducting a procession in solidarity with Palestinians in the ongoing conflict in Gaza and Israel.
It could be recalled that the state government had prescribed the group from operating in the state years back.
According to IMN leaders, 20 other members sustained injuries in the incident.
The state leader of IMN, Aliyu Turmizi, said they were peacefully rallying to show support for the people of Gaza, similar to actions in many Western countries opposing the Gaza conflict.
He said their processions were usually peaceful but that the police often attacked them, as happened this Friday.
“We are only out to show our support to our Palestinian brothers in Gaza; that was when the police attacked us. The information reaching me now is that four of our members were martyred, and about 20 others sustained injuries,” he said.
According to him, the group was still compiling the names of the victims, vowing that the group would not be deterred from supporting the Palestinians.
However, the police denied killing any member of the group, stating that their personnel did not use live ammunition while dispersing the group from the streets.
The state Police Public Relations Officer, Mansir Hassan, said three police officers sustained injuries while trying to disperse the IMN street procession.
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According to him, the IMN members used stones, catapults, and locally made guns to attack the police.
“We received information that the members of the Prescribed IMN were going to hold a massive protest in the state, and the command deployed its men to strategic places to prevent them from blocking the road, especially Ahmadu Bello Way in Kaduna.
“On sighting our deployed men, the IMN members started throwing stones, catapults, and locally made guns at our men, leading to three of our men sustaining injuries and now receiving treatment at the police clinic,” he said.
He said the police used tear gas to disperse the members and arrested eight of them.
Mr Hassan listed the items recovered from the suspects as three locally fabricated guns, catapults, and other dangerous locally made weapons.
Reacting to the alleged killing of four IMN members, the police spokesperson said, “If they claimed four of their members were killed, where are the bodies, and which hospital were they taken to? How can we identify them? Our men didn’t use live ammunition but only used tear gas to disperse them,” he said.
He also stated that an investigation into the clash was ongoing.
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