The Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN) otherwise known as Shi’ites yesterday clashed with men of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) during a pro-Palestine protest in Kaduna.
Although the Shiite protesters claimed that the two of their members were killed, the state police command said one civilian, it identified as Aliyu, was killed.
The police accused members of the IMN of firing at their personnel who were drafted to disperse the “illegal” protesters.
The protesters were out to declare their unalloyed support for the ‘oppressed’ people of Palestine, they said.
When contacted, the command’s public relations officer, ASP Mansur Hassan said, “It is a lie to say that Police killed two Shi’ite members. We were only out to disperse the protesters because IMN is a proscribed organisation in Kaduna State. They were protesting against the Israel and Palestine war, but this is not Israel, this is Kaduna.
“On the contrary, it was the IMN members that started firing at our men. They fired catapults with pellets at our men. In the process they (Shi’ites) killed one civilian identified as Aliyu. They blocked the road, attacked innocent civilians passing by.”
IMN members who started their protest from the premises of the Kaduna State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) marched through Muhammadu Buhari Way to the office of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) to submit their protest letter.
A few minutes after the protest commenced, men of the Nigeria Police engaged the protesters, firing teargas and shooting into the air to disperse them.
Speaking during the protest, their leader, Aliyu Umar Tirmizi said,
“The Israeli occupiers have for the past 75 years been unleashing genocide, ethnic cleansing and apartheid on the unarmed civilians that include men, women and children.
“They have murdered thousands of children and the aged and have demolished houses and worship places of innocent civilians. The Zionist Israel has abused the sanctity of the holy Mosque of Al-Aqsa and terrorized innocent worshipers that visit the place.
“In recent times the Zionist Israel has increased its atrocities on the good people of Palestine where they have been using internationally banned weapons on innocent civilians and even attacked hospitals killing innocent people. These atrocities are committed with full knowledge of the so-called United Nations who have remained silent and subservient to the wicked plots of the Zionist regime.
“It is an understatement to say that the United States of America is providing funds in the name of military aid worth $3.27 billion annually to Israel. The oppressed people of Palestine and indeed human minded people from all over the world have risen against these atrocities,” he said.
The protesters carried placards and white clothes wrapped like dead babies with blood stains, symbolizing the children killed in the Israel/Palestine war. They were chanting death to Israel, support for Palestine.