-Demand immediate release of their leader, Zakzaky.
Members of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria, IMN, Thursday, staged a peaceful protest in Maitama District, National Human Rights Commission, NHRC, headquarters, Abuja, and prevented vehicular movements in the axis, while some youth were seen chanting songs with placards.
The Shiite group were said to have also met with the NHRC, to intercede on what they described as unlawful prosecution of their leader, Sheikh Ibrahim El-Zakzaky.
Speaking with the NHRC Executive Secretary, Tony Ojukwu, at the NHRC Headquarters, the protesters accused Police of injuring 23 members of the IMN in Kaduna with live ammunitions among which 10 were arrested.
Representative of the group, Abdullahi Musa blamed the Police operatives for using live ammunitions on protesters also at the district in Abuja.
He said, “The Police has continued to violate our right for peaceful gathering. Yesterday, they opened fire on us with live ammunition in Kaduna, 23 people were confirmed injured. They arrested 10 of the injured people and we have only 13 of them with us receiving treatment”.
He further said, “These are some of the ammunitions the police used”, sharing pictures of the gun wounds and ammunition shells with the NHRC Executive Secretary.
According to him, members of the Islamic sect were being shot by the Police along Ahmadu Bello way in Kaduna.
Musa added, “They have shot a lot of people right now as i’m talking to you and the carnage continues”.
The Representative of the group accused the Federal Government of prosecuting their leader (Zakzaky) for a murder case in a Kaduna State High Court.
He tasked President Muhammadu Buhari to free their leader, Zakzaky, who had been in detention since December, 2015.
The NHRC boss, Ojukwu, emphasised on the right of every Nigerian to embark on peaceful demonstration,describing it as a constitutional right which the NHRC is ready to protect the aggrieved group as long as the demonstration is peaceful.
He said, “We will stand with you as long as you are peaceful. Nobody has any right to use live ammunition on anybody carrying out a peaceful demonstration. We want to urge you to continue to be peaceful because the truth must come to light one day”.
Ojukwu however urged the protesters to remain peaceful no matter the level of provocation with promises to engage the right authority on their petition.
According to him, since El-Zakzaky had been charged to court, his members should await the court judgement stressing that no citizen is above the law.
He added, “It is good that somebody is taken to court than to be perpetually kept in detention because in court, unless you prove a case beyond every reasonable doubt, nothing can be done. All you need is to put evidences together, get a good lawyer and put across your case”.
The protesters were later dispersed upon Ojukwu’s advise.
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