ABUJA - Police opened fire at Shiite
Muslim protesters demanding the release of their leader in the
Nigerian capital Abuja on Tuesday in a second straight day of
violence, a Reuters witness said.
Troops had fired on a march on Monday by members of the
Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN). The group said the soldiers
killed at least 20 protesters but the military said only three
people died and four soldiers were injured.
On Tuesday, police attempted to stop hundreds of IMN members
as they headed towards the centre of Abuja, where most
government buildings and the presidency are located.
They were demanding the release of their leader Ibrahim
Zakzaky, who has been jailed since December 2015 when security
forces killed hundreds in a crackdown on the group.
Zakzaky has
been held for more than two years without charge despite a court
ruling that he be released.
When marchers refused to turn back, police fired tear gas on
the crowd. The protesters responded by hurling rocks, and the
police opened fire, according to the Reuters witness.
As the violence escalated, at least one IMN member was
wounded by the gunfire and the protesters set ablaze a police
car, the witness said.
A police spokesman did not respond to calls and messages
seeking comment.
IMN protests have frequently met with force. In April,
police fired bullets and tear gas during days of protests by
IMN, wounding at least four.
The repression of IMN, which is estimated to have 3 million
followers, and the detention of its leader have drawn
accusations from international rights watchdogs that President
Muhammadu Buhari's government is abusing human rights.
The crackdown has raised concern that IMN could become
radicalised, in much the same way that the Sunni Muslim militant
group Boko Haram turned into a violent insurgency in 2009 after
police killed its leader.