The Arba’een walk, a ceremonial walk that concludes a 40-day period of grief following the passing of Prophet Muhammad’s (SAW) grandson Imam Hussain, was held on Sunday by the Shi’ites.
The Islamic Movement and Ibraheem El-Zakzaky, the leader of the Shi’ites, signed a statement on behalf of the movement stating that the walk, which took place on Saturday in the Zuba axis and Masaka, was calm and productive.
Medical professionals were now tending to the injured protestors, they continued, adding that information about the dead, injured, and arrested would be released later.
“We would like to notify the public that many mourners were slain by police during the ongoing Arba’een symbolic journey in Abuja’s Wuse District. Many mourners were slain and injured by the authorities as they attempted to disperse the Arbaeen procession.
Security personnel are now occupied with apprehending the mourners of the Arbaeen journey. Critically injured patients are being treated by medical professionals, and information about the dead, injured, and arrested will be provided to the media when it becomes available.
“We conducted a thorough check of every participant prior to the walk to make sure there was no infiltration and the program would conclude on time. The Arbeen walk, which was undertaken at the Masaka and Zuba axes yesterday, concluded successfully and amicably, according to the sect.
The Federal Capital Territory Police Command, however, charged the Shi’ites with inciting unrest, killing police, and vandalizing patrol vans in a statement released through its spokesperson, Josephine Adeh.
The proscribed Islamic Movement of Nigeria, also known as the “Shi’ite” group, launched an unprovoked attack on some Nigeria Police Force personnel attached to the FCT Command at Wuse Junction by the traffic light. The attack resulted in the deaths of two police officers, the unconsciousness of three others, and the destruction of three police patrol vehicles. The FCT Police Command wishes to confirm this information.
The police spokesperson claimed that the banned group had unprovoked attacked the police checkpoint with knives, machetes, and homemade explosives in bottles filled with kerosene.
Adeh stated that a number of the group’s members had been taken into custody and that CP Benneth Igweh, the Commissioner of Police for the Federal Capital Territory, “condemns the unprovoked attack on police officers.” He swears to hold those responsible accountable.
“Now that the crisis is under control, everything is back to normal. In due course, additional developments will be shared, the statement continued.
Notably, in December 2015, hundreds of members of the Shi’ite sect were killed in a brutal battle in Zaria, Kaduna State, while their leader, Sheikh Ibraheem El-Zakzaky, and his wife, Zeenat, were hurt and taken into custody as part of the military’s reprisal against their enclave.
