Tension of religious conflicts rises

• Shi’ites declares 1,000 members missing, 46 killed, 107 injured

The wind of religious conflicts continues to blow strongly in the city of Abuja and the environs over the unrestrained confrontation between the Nigerian Army and the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN), the Shi’ites Muslims. Members of the Muslim sect have engaged on mass protest over the continuous detention of their leader, Sheikh Ibraheem Zakzaky, by the federal government. The Shi’ites Muslims in their mass protests defy security interventions to maintain law and order in the FCT and the environs where the protests are taking place. This culminated into violent clashes between the Army and the Muslim sect and the consequential arrest of some Shi’ite members.

As the clash persisted, the Shi’ites, declared 1,000 members missing, 46 killed and 107 injured in their clash with security operatives in Abuja.

IMN spokesperson in the FCT, Abdullahi Musa, in a statement declared: “The public will recall that on Saturday 27 October, 2018 the followers of Sheikh Ibraheem Zakzaky (H) publicly announced the commencement of three (3) days religious gathering (Arbaeen Symbolic Trek) and protest for unconditional release of our leader, Sheikh Zakzaky (H).

“Unfortunately, during the programme, the military and police killed 46 mourners and protesters, injured 107 and 1000 got missing. The worst part of the crime is that the police are now blackmailing us to cover their atrocities.

“The Academic Forum of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (AFIMN) objected and rejected the baseless claims made by the police that followers of Sheikh Zakzaky were arrested with explosives and at the same time we are calling the public to please ignore the allegation.

“The police should come out and tell the world where they got the explosive and account for over 1000 people that got missing during the three days protest and we are calling for the prosecution of all those that participated in the attack and killing of 46 protesters.”

National Daily gathered that the Shi’ites insisted on continuing the demand for the release of Zakzaky. They accused the Police of resorting to blackmail rather than accounting for missing and dead members.