The Islamic Movement of Nigeria, also known as ‘Shi’ites’, has accused the Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, of causing the death of five members of the group when his security details allegedly opened fire on them during a protest in Kaduna on Thursday.
Many, including passers-by, were reportedly caught up in the melee, sustaining varying degrees of injuries in the process, according to a report by Sahara Reporters.
This is contained in a statement signed by the Secretary of the Academic Forum of the movement, Abdullahi Musa.
The group alleged that the “inciting statement” made by the governor a few days ago led to the incident.
The statement read,
“Few days ago, the Kaduna State Governor, Nasiru El-Rufai, incited members of his political Party in Zaria, against the the Islamic movement in Nigeria and its leader, Sheikh Ibrahim Zakzaky(H), where he told them that they must vote his anointed candidate, Senator Uba Sani, so he may finish off what he described as the remnants of El-zakzaky’s Shiites in Zaria.
“The governor told the APC faithful that it’s only his successor that can fight and finish the Shiites in the state. Incidentally, less than 48 hours to the state’s governorship election, followers of the oppressed leader of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria came out to protest against tyrant Buhari’s refusal to remove the illegal travelling ban on their leader, Sheikh Ibraheem Zakzaky and his wife to travel out for medical treatment, El-Rufai’s convoy ran into the protesters and opened fire with live ammunition on them, killing more than five on the spot.
“These include Aliyu Suleiman, an 18-year-old Mechanical Engineering student of Kaduna State Polytechnic. Several others sustained various degrees of life-threatening injuries. An unspecified number of passers-by were also shot and arrested.”
