Pandemonium as Shi’ite protest turns violent in Abuja

•Why we disperse them, by Police

By Stanley Onyekwere and Ali Alkali, Abuja

Serious pandemonium broke yesterday in Abuja as the seemingly endless protest by members of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN) also known as the Shiites, took a dangerous twist, following stiff resistance from security operatives, resulting in chaos, heavy vehicular and human traffic and sporadic shorting of tear gas.
Peoples Daily learnt the Shi’ites turned violent when they were said to have insisted that their daily sit out protest at the Unity Fountain must continue after the FCT Police Command had cordoned off the whole area with crime scene tape, thereby prohibiting all forms of protest there.
It was also gathered that the protesters insistence to regain control of the Unity Fountain and go ahead with their protest against the orders of the police, however, sparked off violence and riot that got many people injured and vehicles smashed.
It could be recalled that the daily sit out protest by the Shiites had lasted for over two months at the Unity Fountain; but just a week ago, a new dimension was ushered into the protest, where the protesters march in large numbers, and obstructed traffic flows, to different restricted places in Abuja, to make a case for the release of their detained leader El-Zakzakky.
Eyewitness accounts revealed that the Police had heavily mobilized its officers, Armoured Personnel Carrier and security dogs to enforce the ban in the area, while applying force to disperse the rampaging protesters by firing tear gas and using hot water tanks against at them.
An eye witness, a taxi driver, who pleaded anonymity told Peoples Daily that he ran into the cross fire, but escaped death by the whiskers as the protesters were not dissuaded by the tear gas and the hot water that police was using against them.
He explained that the protesters faced the police, hauling stones and sticks at them, and also smashing vehicles that were around.
“I didn’t know what was happening, but before I could realize it, I was already in the midst of the protesters with the passengers I was carrying in my car. I hurriedly reversed my car and escaped before we were hurt.
“The Shiites faced the police with stones and sticks. In fact, it was when the soldiers came that they disappeared; and some of them flew with injuries and blood on their bodies,” the Taxi driver noted.
Our Correspondent who visited the scene reports that even after the protesters have been dispersed, there was heavy presence of Soldiers, Nigeria Security Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), the Police and other security agents, who were strategically stationed right from the Federal High Court Junction, to the Nigeria Communication Commission office in Maitama District.
Furthermore, there were also various trails of violence that saturated the atmosphere, as empty canisters of tear gas, stones and sticks, even smashed car glasses liter the roads in the areas.
The FCT Police Command, in a statement it issued yesterday, said it dispersed the protesters to “restore normalcy”.
The police, however, debunked some media reports that lives were lost during the clash, saying “No life was lost in the violent protest as the Police operatives deployed to quell the protest were professional in handling the situation.”
The Statement signed by DSP Anjuguri Manzah, Public Relations Officer of the Command, said in “the unfortunate incident which also resulted in the destruction of some government and Police operational vehicles, the members of the Shiite group also injured twenty-two (22) police personnel during the protest.”
He, however, revealed that the police have arrested one hundred and fifteen (115) members of the sect at the scene and recovered weapons such as Catapults, Iron bars, Stones, Ball bearings and Pink head bands.
The FCT Police Command Spokesman added that Joint Team of detectives from the Command in conjunction with operatives from the IGP Monitoring Unit have commenced investigation into the incident, and “The arrested suspects will be charged to court upon conclusion of investigation.”
The police warn that “The FCT Police Command hereby warn members of Shiites movement from further disrupting the peace, harmony and free flow of traffic in FCT.
“This is to also urge members of the public particularly parents and guardians not to allow their children or wards to be used as instrument of violence in any demonstration by any group that could jeopardize public peace and harmony. It is therefore imperative to state that anyone caught in the act of violent demonstration or any act capable of causing the breach of public peace will be made to face the wrath of the law.”