Police warn Shi’ites on planned Abuja protest

The police have warned members of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN), also known as Shi’ites, not to embark on any protest in the Nigerian capital, Abuja.
A statement issued yesterday by the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command’s Public Relations Officer, Manzah Anjuguri, stated that the police had been informed of a planned protest by the IMN.
The police warned the group to desist from embarking on any protest.
The statement read in part: “The attention of the FCT Police Command has been drawn to the plan by members of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria to carry out mass protest at the Three Arms Zone, Abuja, on Wednesday, December 14, 2016.

“The Command wants to state unequivocally that the action of the group is illegal as they have neither written to notify the Command of their planned action nor have they secured any approval from the Commissioner of Police go on with the planned protest.
“It is sequel to the above that FCT Police Command is warning members of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria to immediately stay action on their planned protest or be prepared to be dealt with in accordance with the appropriate sections of the law.”
Despite court orders rulings that have shown that Nigerians do not need a police permit to embark on protest, the police have always insisted on such, especially for protests considered unfavourable to the government in power.
In a reaction to the police statement, a leader of the IMN said the group had no immediate plans to embark on such protest.

Secretary General of the Academic Forum of the IMN, Abdullahi Musa, who spoke with Premium Times on the matter, said his members had not protested since a court ruling ordering the release of the Shi’ite leader, Ibrahim El-Zakzaky.
“We took the case to court. And the court ruled in our favour and said that they should release our leader in 45 days. What sense will it make if we start protesting before that time. We have not protested and we will not protest till the 45 days elapses; if he is not released.
“Although I heard that a group protested yesterday, but I am telling you that we, the Shi’ite members whom I speak for, have not protested and will not protest now,” he said.
An Abuja Division of the Federal High Court had on December 2 ordered the release of El-Zakzaky.
Justice Gabriel Kolawole ordered the federal government to release the cleric within 45 days, from December 2.
El-Zakzaky has been detained without trial since December, last year, after over 300 members of the IMN were killed by soldiers in controversial circumstances in Kaduna.