From: Femi Oyelola, Kaduna
Business activities in Kaduna metropolis was temporarily paralyzed yesterday as members of Islamic Movement in Nigeria, (IMN) also known as Shiites staged a protest to demand immediate release of their leader, Shiekh Ibraheem Zakzaky.
The protesters in their thousands gathered at the Leventis Roundabout around 12noon and immediately started moving towards Katsina road roundabout taking over the popular Ahmadu Bello Way.
Business owners on the road hurriedly shot down their business premises for fear of the unknown. The protesters then proceeded to Lagos Street roundabout to link up with Sardauna Crescent.
The police team however arrived at the Lagos street roundabout and later on moved to the dispersed the protesters who remained undeterred as they proceeded with their protest chanting, “Free Zakzaky,” “Free our Leader,” “Zakzaky is not a killer.”
Pandemonium broke out along Sardauna Crescent by Dan Musa road as sounds of gunshot rank the air and people started running helter-skelter for safety. The Shiites responded by throwing every available missiles they could lay their hands on back to the police. A police officer was sighted bleeding and being escorted by his colleagues back to their patrol van.
Similarly, some Shiite members also suffered gunshot wounds as this Reporter saw them being helped into a vehicle and driven away to unknown destination.
The incident took a dangerous trend when some youth suspected to be vigilante group or the dreaded ‘Sara-Suka’ came out enmass to confront the protesting Shiites. They were seen brandishing their sticks in the air shouting, “Let’s go after them,” “Leave us with them, police.” This created more panic among residents of the area and people took their heels.
Speaking to this reporter, the Police Public Relations Officer, (PPRO) Kaduna State Police Command, ASP Aliyu Mukhtar said the Shiites came fully armed and two police officers were injured in the cross-fire.
But in a sharp reaction, the leader of the Shiite in Kaduna State, Sheikh Aliyu Tirmizi, said the Shiites came out for a peaceful protest and it was so until the police attack them and opened fire on them.
According to him, some of their members whose numbers are not ascertained suffered gunshots wounds and large number of them have been taken away by the police.
He denied the report that the Shiites came fully armed, saying it is not in their character to carry arms or any weapons and they will never do that.
One of the leaflets distributed by the group stated that Shiites reiterated its demand that Sheikh Zakzaky, his wife, hundreds of others in detention over the Zaria massacre be set free unconditionally in the interest of peace and national cohesion so much desired by the Nigeria.
