Following the bloody clashes between Nigerian Police and members of Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN) also known as Shi’ite, on Monday, which claimed many lives, the sect, on Wednesday, told the police authorities to release 15 alleged corpses of its supporters taken away for proper burial rites.
It also claimed that a ten-year-old boy with a bullet wound on his leg and five women arrested during the uproar needed urgent medical attention.
It will be recalled that Deputy Commissioner of Police (Operations), Federal Capital Territory, FCT Command, DCP Umar, alongside Precious Owolabi, a corps member serving with Channels Television among others, were victims at the friendly fires at the Federal Secretariat, Abuja.
Shi’ite, in a statement signed by the Head of Shuhada Foundation of the movement, Sheikh Abdulhamid Bello Zaria,commiserated with the friends and families of those who lost their lives during the brutality, particularly, the families of slain officer, journalist and the Channels Television.
He, therefore, urged the international community and well-meaning Nigerians to mount pressure on the Federal Government to release its leader, who was in dire need of urgent medical attention abroad.
Sheikh Abdulhamid Zaria said the movement was able to conduct the Islamic funeral prayers yesterday (Tuesday) on six of their members killed by the police during the clashes.
According to him: “We firmly believe the police force is holding unto 15 corpses of the supporters of the Islamic Movement it killed on Monday.
“We deemed it necessary to update the general public and the international community on the disproportionate use of force on supporters of the Islamic Movement by the Nigerian police that was renewed since Monday, July 22, 2019.
“Those buried yesterday were: Harisu Ibrahim Magaji from Darazo, Bauchi State; Husaini Yahya Barwa from Soba, Kaduna State; Ali Haidar Ibrahim Sulaiman from Toro, Bauchi state; Dahiru Dogo from Kaduna, Kaduna State as well as Batula Muhammad from Suleja, Niger State and Abubakar Isma’il from Yola, Adamawa State.
“As of now, 15 seriously injured people, some of whom we took to Abuja University Teaching Hospital, Gwagwalada, but the police snatched them by force on Monday 22/07/19 are languishing in the detention Centre of State Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) in Abbatoir, Abuja, without any medical care.
“Among them are five women needing urgent medical attention. There is a ten-year-old boy in the detention facility, even though he has a bullet wound on his leg. In fact, we learnt that two of the injured died yesterday because of their injuries. We demand that the authorities of SARS give us access to the wounded so that we can attend to their medical needs.
“Yesterday 23/07/19, we gathered at Banex Plaza to once again continue with our peaceful procession demanding the freedom of our Leader Sheikh Ibraheem Zakzaky, but a joint task force of security agents stormed the place in combat gear. They fired tear gas and live ammunition resulting in injuries to a lot of our supporters, with one unconfirmed report saying one person died of his injuries.” He stressed.
He alleged that the security agencies were working hard to portray the movement as a terrorist organization, saying that was why they have started killing people in the name movement, including its supporters.
“We decry such shameless play with people’s lives with reckless abandon.
“We welcome any move to the peaceful resolution of this crisis that has kept our Leader Sheikh Ibraheem Zakzaky in detention since 2015, even when a Federal High Court had ordered for his release.” Sheikh Zaria stated.
