Security operatives comprising
anti-riot, regular police and soldiers on Tuesday disrupted the annual
procession of members of Islamic Movement in Nigeria, IMN, in remembrance of
the killing of three of Sheikh Zakzaky’s sons and 31 other members in Zaria on
July 25, 2014.
The event which held at the
Darurahama, Jos Road, Zaria, was besieged by security operatives who were in
the venue with over 18 trucks filled with personnel.
It was gathered that on their way
to the venue, IMN members, popularly known as Shi’ites were seen in
procession-like movement along the Zaria-Jos highway leaving the venue.
On getting to the area, when
reporters sought what attracted heavy deployment of security personnel, the
Police Area Commander in charge of Zaria, ACP Ibrahim Abdullahi, told newsmen
to leave the area that there was problem.
When contacted, one of the organisers
of the procession, Sheikh Abdulhamid Bello, said that a reporter covering the
event, had his camera seized by the police.
“We were holding our annual
remembrance anniversary held every year in memory of 34 of our members killed
on July 25, 2014, including three sons of Sheikh Zakzaky.
“After we started the programme
by 8am, around 10am, the security personnel mobilised themselves and met us
there. The Army came first and surrounded the place. They didn’t say anything,
so we continued.
“When the Police came led by the
ACP, they came and interrupted. There were tents, chairs and we were well
organised. They tried to provoke us, but failed. The ACP told his personnel to
take position, then they came and told the person preaching that: ‘No problem,
no trouble, conclude and go away’. Some of our members recording were stopped
and a journalist’s camera was seized.
“They wanted to seize all the
cameras but we questioned them because their people were recording, so they
decided that even their people should stop recording,” he narrated.
The Sheikh informed that as at
the time they were disrupted, they had about 10,000 members in attendance, with
several others prevented from entering the venue.
“About 10,000 of us were there,
had it been we were not peaceful, they wouldn’t have been able to disperse us,”
he added.
One of those prevented from
entering the venue, Sheikh Adamu Tsoho who travelled from his base in Jos to
attend, described the situation as unfortunate.
“We arrived around 9:30am. We
heard they had blocked the entrance but they didn’t allow us to enter. A lot of
people were trapped outside,” he explained.
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They could have rememberd you what happened last time physically so that you learn a lesson
ReplyDeleteWhat a shameful act by the Nigeria government
ReplyDeleteMay God continue to help the oppressed
ReplyDelete