It was gathered that army went away with the corpse of three of the victims, but one if the victim’s corpse was identified as Abdul’aziz Maigana, who until his demise was with the members of the Islamic Movement in Suleja.
The followers of Sheikh Ibraheem El-Zakzaky popularly known Shiites were in procession from Suleja in Niger State to the capital city on Saturday all dressed in black.
In a press statement released by Ibrahim Musa, the President Media Forum of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria, the Movement vehemently condemned the action of the security agents, as “unwarranted, since the march has been peaceful.”
ALSO READ: 28 of our members killed by police bullets in Kaduna —Shiites
The statement further added, “In fact, it was being rounded up for the day when soldiers opened fire on the peaceful marchers without any provocation whatsoever.”
“The fact that a similar Arba’een march was conducted in Kano along the Kano-Zaria highway for two days without any incident, is enough a pointer to the peaceful nature of the annual religious rites. Similar Arba’een mourning processions are currently ongoing in Katsina and Kaduna states without any incident,” according to the press statement.
The Islamic Movement then cautioned the security agents to stop harassing its members, “since today is just the beginning of the peaceful mourning march on foot, and it is expected that more people may join the mass peaceful march, which will culminate in the grand Arba’een day, to be marked on Tuesday, 30 October 2018, the same day it would be commemorated worldwide.”
“If the security agents are trigger happy, then they should save their arms and bullets to other parts of the country engulfed in violence, but not on peaceful marchers carrying no arms with them,” according to the press statement
Meanwhile, the Islamic Movement have announced that they would embark of what they described as symbolic trek to Abuja on Sunday 28 October.
Addressing Journalists in Abuja, one of the leaders of the Movement, Sheikh Sidi Munir Sokoto said the trek was to mark Arbaeen (fortieth day), which is a mourning period in Islam to mark and commemorate 40 days after Ashura, the tragic day that Tyrant Yazid bn Muawiyyah killed Imam Hussain ibn Ali (AS).
According to him “this press conference was organized to inform the public especially the residents of Abuja and some parts of Niger and Nasarawa states that the followers of Shaikh Ibraheem Zakzaky (H) will embark on Arbaeen Symbolic Trek scheduled to take place in Abuja.
“The trek will commence on Sunday 28 October 2018 and during the trek, millions of followers of Sheikh Ibraheem Zakzaky (H) will march in mass to Abuja. Although the trek will concurrently go with Free Zakzaky protest, we are appealing to the residents of concerned areas not to panic.
“Arbaeen (fortieth day) is a mourning period in Islam to mark and commemorate 40 days after Ashura, the tragic day that Tyrant Yazid bn Muawiyyah killed Imam Hussain ibn Ali (AS), his family and his companions. Imam Hussain (AS) is a grandson of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (SAWA).
“The public should also recall the grave atrocities committed by the Nigerian Army during December 2015 Zaria massacre where hundreds of children have been orphaned; many husbands and wives widowed, and scores of Shaikh Zakzaky’s disciples are still languishing in prisons. Likewise, Shaikh Zakzaky has been in detention for more than 1,000 days, in spite of his deteriorating health conditions without proper medical treatment and despite the fact that a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has ordered for his immediate and unconditional release since December 2, 2016.
“This year Arbaeen Symbolic Trek will also contain unprecedented Free Zakzaky protest in Abuja”.
and then