March 17, (THEWILL) – Five members of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN), also known as Shi’ites, have been reported killed and many others injured, during a clash between protesting members of the group and the convoy of Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, in the Bakin Ruwa community of Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna State on Thursday evening.
A statement signed by the Secretary of the Academic Forum of the IMN, Abdullahi Musa, said the governor’s convoy came in contact with the Shi’ite members while they were performing their weekly procession at Bakin Ruwa, along Nnamdi Azikwe Expressway.
Musa claimed many of their members including passers-by, who were caught up in the incident, sustained varying degrees of injuries.
He accused Governor El-Rufai of causing the death of five members of the group when his security details allegedly opened fire on them during a peaceful procession.
The group alleged that an inciting statement made by the governor a few days earlier led to the incident.
“Few days ago, the Kaduna State Governor, Nasiru El-Rufai, incited members of his political party in Zaria, against the Islamic movement in Nigeria and its leader, Sheikh Ibrahim Zakzaky, where he told them that they must vote his anointed candidate, Senator Uba Sani, so he may finish off what he described as the remnants of El-zakzaky’s Shiites in Zaria.
“The governor told the APC faithful that it’s only his successor that can fight and finish the Shiites in the state.
“Incidentally, less than 48 hours to the state’s governorship election, followers of the oppressed leader of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria came out to protest against tyrant Buhari’s refusal to remove the illegal travelling ban on their leader, Sheikh Ibraheem Zakzaky and his wife to travel out for medical treatment, El-Rufai’s convoy ran into the protesters and opened fire with live ammunition on them, killing more than five on the spot.
“These include Aliyu Suleiman, an 18-year-old Mechanical Engineering student of Kaduna State Polytechnic.
“Several others sustained various degrees of life-threatening injuries. An unspecified number of passers-by were also shot and arrested”, the statement claimed.
Commissioner, Internal Security and Home Affairs, Samuel Aruwan, neither responded to calls nor responded to a text message sent to him as at the time of filling the report.
But Spokesperson of the State Police command, DSP Mohammed Jalige, said investigation on the incident was ongoing and that a statement would be issued later.
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