Police arrest 19 Shiite members in Abuja protest

The Nigerian police have arrested 19 members of the Shiite Islamic group in Abuja following a violent protest on Thursday. The group had staged a demonstration of over 400 members from the Federal High Court to the Eagle Square, demanding the release of Sheikh Ibraheem El-zakzaky's International Passport.

The Police charged the members with obstruction, riotous assembly, and unlawful procession and said they would face trial in due course.

In a statement, SP Josephine Adeh, spokesperson of the FCT Police Command, explained that upon receiving distress calls from concerned residents about their safety, police operatives were quickly deployed to the scene. The officers had already been monitoring the procession when members of the IMN started throwing stones, Molotov cocktails, and other dangerous objects at them. The police then dispersed the unlawful procession using minimal force.

The statement further reiterated the FCT Command's commitment to security, safety, and peace within the capital territory, assuring residents that no untoward incident was recorded during the protest's observation and monitoring. It is noteworthy that the IMN has been banned in Nigeria since 2019, and its leader, Sheikh Ibraheem El-zakzaky, has been in detention since 2015.