Nigerian police fire on Shiite Muslim protesters
Islamic Movement of Nigeria members in Abuja demand the release of leader Ibrahim Zakzaky who is still in jail two years after a court ruling that he be freed
Abuja — Nigerian police fired shots and tear gas at thousands of supporters of an imprisoned Shiite cleric in Abuja on Tuesday, just a day after three people were killed in similar clashes that sparked warnings to the government that a heavy-handed crackdown could radicalise the group. At least six Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN) supporters have now been killed since Saturday during protests calling for the release of Ibrahim Zakzaky, who has been in custody since December 2015. Several thousand IMN members were marching peacefully in central Abuja but then armed police fired into the crowd to disperse the procession, said witnesses at the scene. At least six injured IMN members were taken away in cars while the area was patrolled by dozens of police, they said. “A lot of our people had been injured, so far we don’t have any record of death,” IMN spokesman Ibrahim Musa said. Nigeria’s military said three IMN supporters were killed during another protest on the outskirts of Abuja o...
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