Members of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN), also known as Shi’ites, have been attacked by police officers in Abuja while conducting an annual religious procession on Tuesday.

The IMN members had trooped out in the morning and begun a joint trek in Abuja before running into police officers around Gwarinpa Estate, along Kubwa expressway.

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“The trek was in solidarity with the grandson of Prophet Muhammad,” Abdullahi Junaidu, a member of the IMN, told FIJ. “Today, we came peacefully, and during the procession, they just appeared and started shooting live ammunition at us.”

Junaidu revealed that by noon, three members of the IMN had been killed. FIJ learned that while a body was retrieved, the worshippers were not allowed to pick the other two.

“After that, they were still searching for us in our hideouts. As I am talking to you, they have arrested many people,” Junaidu said.

“This is their tradition, especially in Abuja and Kaduna. This is their tradition. They treat us as if we are not human beings. Anytime we go out, they will just attack us.”

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Frank Mba, the Force Public Relations Officer (FPRO), told FIJ he was out of Abuja and so could not give specific details about the incident. However, he said the Nigerian Police Force (NPF) has standard operating procedures for dealing with protests, processions and riots.

“When people come out to protest and they do so within the confines of the law, we will provide the necessary support,” he said. “When people come out and they conduct themselves in manners that clearly violate the laws of the land, we will apply necessary instruments of the law to restrain them.

“The public space is meant for the public, and our job is to secure this space to ensure that other road users have equal access to the roads and the facilities that are available in it. Each situation will be treated based on its own merits.”