Timothy Olanrewaju, Maiduguri
The Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN) said the police killed one of its members and injured 12 others during Maulud processions in the Northwest Kaduna city. IMN in a statement yesterday by its spokesman, Ibrahim Musa, said its member was shot dead by the police during a procession in Zaria, Kaduna State and 12 others wounded in Zaria and Kaduna.
It said at police unit arrived the scene of the procession while the members were dispersing and “started shooting live bullets sporadically at close range, killing one and injuring eight others.” He also said the police Kaduna metropolis, “enacted a similar scenario, shooting at peaceful Maulud procession along a popular area (Ahmadu Bello way). He however said nobody died among the four persons that sustained injuries allegedly from police bullets.
But reacting to the allegation, the police maintained that nobody died in the procession, adding that they only dispersed a proscribed group from procession. “The Command received reports from good Samaritans at about 1545hrs (on Thursday) that, some members of the outlawed Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN) were sighted at the Central area of Kaduna Metropolis and our operatives promptly responded,” Police Public Relations Officer, Kaduna State Command, Yakubu Sabo said in a statement.
“However, on sighting security agents, the protesters melted into the mass population of men and women who were manning their legitimate businesses within the market area. There was no encounter whatsoever with the police and no casualty was recorded as well.”