Again, shiites, police clash in Abuja, one-feared dead

Doosuur Iwambe, Abuja

At least one person was feared dead as Nigerian police officers and a group of shi’ite muslim protesters clash in Abuja on Monday.

Gunshots rent the area of protest and two vehicles were set ablaze.

“The police are taking adequate measures to bring the situation under control,” the Nigeria police force tweeted, referring to the unrest as a “violent protest”.

The shiite marchers who belong to the islamic movement of nigeria (imn) have regularly taken to the streets of abuja in the last few years calling for the release of their leader, ibrahim zakzaky, who has been in detention since december 2015.

Early this month they took their protest to the national assembly, where police claimed two of their men were shot. Some vehicles were also burnt.

Clashes between police and zakzaky’s supporters have raised fears that imn may become radicalised – just as the sunni muslim militant group boko haram turned violent in 2009 after police killed their leader.

Lawyer to el-zakzaky, mr femi falana recently warned president buhari that the nation risks another insurgency, should the religious leader and his wife zeenat die in detention.