BREAKING NEWS: Shiites protest in Abuja, demand El-Zakzaky’s release

Members of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN), otherwise called, the Shi’ites, on Thursday, marched across major streets of Abuja, the Federal Capital territory.

The protesters were demanding immediate release of their leader, Sheik Ibraheem El-Zakzaky, who has been held out of touch by the Nigerian army since last year December. The group earlier expressed fear that El-Zakzaky might die due to his bad health.

Many people were feared dead after a bloody clash between Nigerian soldiers and the members of IMN in Zaria, Kaduna state on December 13-14, 2015. The army claimed that it had responded to the Shia followers’ attempt to kill Nigeria’s Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai. But this claim has been strongly denied by the Shiites and several human rights organizations who argue that the attack was pre-planned.