Metro

Quds Day: Four dead, 20 injured as Police fire in Kaduna

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1 year ago

No fewer than four members of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN), otherwise known as Shiites, lost their lives, while 20 were injured when the police allegedly fired shots to disperse a procession by members of the movement to mark International Quds Day on Friday.

The Shites that were gathered trooped out on Friday for a peaceful procession in the state metropolis to mark International Quds Day when the law enforcement operatives moved to stop them.

Reports had indicated that the Shites had assembled near the Katsina roundabout along Ahmadu Bello Way prior to the arrival of the police, who attempted to disperse them using tear gas, among others.

This situation caused tension and unease among the citizens, especially those with businesses situated along Ahmadu Bello Way, as shots were fired by the police to disperse the protesters.

Speaking in an interview after the incident, Malam Aliyu Tirmiziy, one of the shite leaders, confirmed that four of their members were killed and 20 others were injured.

He said, “We usually come out on the last Friday of every Ramadan to protest peacefully and show our support to the people of Palestine for the inhuman treatment they are being forced to face, as is being done by others across the globe.

“We usually have a peaceful procession, but this time around, as we were about to start, the police came and threw tear gas at us and started shouting, and in the process, four of our members were killed while 20 were injured.”

Also speaking, Professor Dauda Nalado, a member of the IMN, called on all people and nations with humanity to condemn the genocide against the Palestinian population and stop it, saying, “Unfortunately, the United States and the United Kingdom are supporters of this genocide.”

He thanked South Africa and the axis of resistance comprising Iran, Lebanon (Hizbullah), Syria, Iraq, and Yemen for their support, condemned the continued brutal genocide of the Palestinian population, and supported the oppressed people of Palestine in their struggle.

He then called on the Nigerian state to sever diplomatic ties with the genocidal Zionist state of Israel and also called for a permanent ceasefire and a comprehensive package for the freedom of Palestine.

On the incident, police image maker ASP Mansir Hassan said, “We got the information that the members of the proscribed IMN are going to hold a massive protest in the state, and the command deployed its men to most of the strategic places to stop them from blocking the road, especially Ahmadu Bello Way Kaduna.

“On sighting our men deployed there, the IMN members started throwing stones, catapults, and locally made guns against our men. Which led to three of our men sustaining injuries and now receiving treatment at a police clinic,” he said.

He said the police used tear gas to disperse them, which also led to the arrest of eight suspects.

He listed the following items recovered from the suspects: three locally fabricated guns, catapults, and other dangerous locally made weapons.

On the alleged killing of four IMN members, the PPRO denied the allegation, saying, Where are the bodies of those killed?

“If they claimed four of their members were killed, where were the bodies and which hospital were they taken to? How can we identify them? Our men didn’t use live ammunition but only used teargas to disperse them,” he said.

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