The Police in Kaduna on Thursday, dispersed hundreds of anti-El-Zakzaky protesters in Kaduna, leading to several of them sustaining injuries as they scramble for safety.
The youths who stormed the Kaduna State Government House, carrying banners and placards, were mistaken for members of the Islamic group, Shi’ites loyal to Sheikh Zakzaky and his proscribed group, Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN) when the police dispersed them.
It was gathered that the anti -Zakzaky prostesters had converged outside the Government House main entrance, waiting for the address of the representatives of the State Government,when the anti-riot policemen from the state’s security outfit, Operation Yaki stormed the venue in trucks, firing tear gas.
The presence of the armed Security outfit took the protesters by surprise, as the protesters claimed they had earlier informed the Police of the protest before embarking on it.
However, after they were identified as anti-Zakzaky group, the youths that formed the bulwark of protesters were allowed to converge few metres from the Government House gate, displaying their banners and posters.
Addressing the protesters, Comrade Richard Augustine who spoke on behalf of the group, Known as Justice and Peace Development, condemned the calls by the IMN for the release of Zakzaky.
He said: “Our march today is therefore, to demand that El Zakzaky and other IMN extremists arrested for terrorism related cases must be prosecuted.
Also, he said ,’IMN’s foreign sponsors must stop taking Nigeria for granted as we must not join the league of countries whose security agencies know terrorists and still leave them to carry out attacks before executing them to show they are working.”
Augustine condemned what he termed the denigrating of the office of the Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo by IMN, through its recent statement against him.
He explained: “Osinbajo merely stated the fact when he said El Zakzaky remains in detention because there is an appeal against his court ordered release. Those calling for the release of Zakzaky have failed.”
Comrade Augustine said that by the group’s protest, it is a strong warning that those pursuing the release of Zakzaky will be faced with serious resistance by bigger anti-Zakzaky protests across the country.
“But unlike them, we would not be asking for the release of religious extremists, we are rather demanding that all extremists and terrorists should be tried under the stiffest of our laws to serve as deterrence,” he added.
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