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Tag: Shi’ite members

  • Protesting Shiite members chase away Police team in FCT

    Protesting Shiite members on Monday chased away a police team stationed at the three arms zone at the Federal Secretariat complex, Abuja.

    The secretariat complex is a few metres from the National Assembly and the Presidential Villa.

    The youths, who were armed with stones and other objects, temporarily took over the roads in the area.

    The angry youths pelted a police Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC) with stones and other objects.

    The Police officer controlling traffic in one of the roads in the area scampered for safety.

    The Shiite members are protesting the continued detention of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria leader, Ibrahim El-Zakzaky, by the Federal Government.

    Their action grounded activities at the complex for over 30 minutes.

    There was no vehicular movement on the busy roads around the secretariat as the angry youths marched up and down, while waiting to engage the Police who had retreated.

    Workers of some ministries located at the secretariat complex temporarily locked themselves behind their gates and watched from afar as the angry youths continued their hostility.

    The protesting youths destroyed vehicles belonging to the Nigeria Police Force and those of civilians that were parked along the secretariat complex.

    They chanted “Mamman Daura, free El-Zakyzaky,” “Buhari free El-Zakyzaky.”

    The youths vowed to continue to the protest till their leader, El-Zakyzaky, is released by the government.

    The police later regrouped and engaged the angry youths in a hot chase towards the Central Business District.

    A Divisional Police officer stationed at the secretariat complex and one operative of the Department of State Security Services were allegedly injured during the protest.

    Read Also: Police, Shiite members clash in Abuja

     

  • More Shi’ite members arrested in clash with Police in Abuja

    •Sect demands release of El-Zakzaky, wife

    SHI’ITE members again staged a protest yesterday in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) despite the detention of about 115 of their faithful by the police last Monday.

    The sect members, who disrupted activities in Maitama area of Abuja on Monday, moved their protest to Wuse market yesterday, disturbing people from gaining access into the market.

    The FCT Police Command spokesman, DSP Anjuguri Manzah, told The Nation that additional sect members were arrested for unlawful behaviour.

    The protests were connected to the detention of their leader, Sheikh Ibrahim El-Zakzaky and his wife, who were detained since 2015.

    According to a witness, the protest, which was about turning chaotic around the Wuse Market, was quickly quelled with policemen applying heavy dose of teargas and water to dispatch them.

    Reacting to the protest through a telephone call, Manzah said: “We received information that some Shi’tte members in their thousands converged at Wuse market, thereby denying other residents and other business owners access to the market.

    “Upon receipt of information, our men were deployed to the place to clear the road for those who have activities or businesses around the place in order for them to access the market.

    “Upon the arrival of police team, Shi’ite members started throwing stones and other dangerous objects at the police. After some time, we were able to arrest the situation and some of them were arrested.

    “We were also able to disperse them and create opening for people to access the market and also enable the free flow of traffic around the area affected. The area is calm now.”

    On casualty figure and number of those arrested, Manzah said: “I don’t have any details now.”

    Scores of the protesters and 22 policemen were injured during the violent encounter between the police and the Shi’ite members, 115 of whom were detained by the police.

    More policemen were deployed in strategic parts of the FCT yesterday over heightened insecurity.

    Armed policemen were seen in various parts of the FCT with most of them concentrated at Maitama, Central Business District, National Assembly complex and Wuse.

     

     

     

     

  • 44 Shiite members remanded in Jos prison

    44 Shiite members remanded in Jos prison

    Forty-four members of the Shiite Movement, who embarked on a procession that later turned violent last Wednesday, have been remanded in prison custody in Jos, the Police said yesterday

    The Commissioner of Police in the state, Peter Ogunyanwo, disclosed this while briefing newsmen in Jos.

    The Shiite members had embarked on a procession in defiance of police advice.

    Violence erupted when the Shiite members had a clash with non -Shiite members.

    Although, no person was reported dead, properties worth millions of were destroyed in the clash.

    According to Ogunyanwo, 45 Shiite members were arrested by the men of Operation Safe Haven and handed over to the police.

    “The procession by members of Shiite in Jos, which later turned violent, resulted in the arrest of 45 of them by the men of Operation Safe Haven and later handed over to us for prosecution.

    “Without much delay, we arraigned 44 of them because one among them is a minor; he is just four years old.

    “As I am speaking to you, the 44 arraigned have been remanded in prison.

    “We actually advised them not hold that procession because the peace being enjoyed on the Plateau is still fragile and we envisaged violence arising from that.

    “But they did not heed to our advice and went ahead with the procession.

    “As predicted the procession turned violent, with properties worth millions destroyed,” he said.

    The commissioner admonished citizens of the state to be law abiding and support the force in its bid to rid the state of crime.

     

  • Zaria clash: Accused Shi’ite member dies in prison custody 

    Zaria clash: Accused Shi’ite member dies in prison custody 

    A Kaduna State High Court 6, presided over by Justice David Wyoms was Wednesday informed that one of the 80 accused persons charged and arraigned for culpable homicide following December 12-14, 2015, Shiites/Army clash in Zaria has died in prison custody.

    The State Prosecutor, Mr. Dari Bayero, told the Court of the death of one Abbas Isiyaku in prison custody, and asked that his name be struck from the list of the 80 accused persons.

    The presiding Judge immediately granted that the deceased name be removed.

    The accused persons are also charged with criminal conspiracy, unlawful assembly, disturbance of public peace and wrongful restrain during the Zaria clash.

    According to Bayero, “before your Lordship is a charge under sections 97, 221, 102,106 and 256 of the Penal Code Law of Kaduna State for mention. Before we start, I apply that the name of Abbas Isiyaku be struck off the list. He is deceased,” Bayero said.

    The lead defending counsel to the accused persons, Mr. Festus Okoye did not object to the striking of the deceased name, saying, “No objection. The said accused person died in prison custody”.

    Justice Wyoms said, “The name of accused person no 28 is hereby struck out”.

    However, Bayero further informed the court that, “Accused persons nos 42-80 are women and were released on bail to one Musa Usman. He is in court. Earlier, before the Hon. Justice Hannatu Balogun in Court 8, in a sister case he undertook to produce those he took on bail and he asked for time. The learned Judge granted him time. I pray that the honourable court should grant him time to produce those he took on bail”.

    But Okoye objected to Bayero’s  submission, saying, “Accused 42-80 are women, children and minors. Alhaji Musa Usman did not take them on bail.

    “The Police released them to him on grounds that the State claimed that they do not want to prosecute women, children and minors. Alhaji Musa is here and it is only fair to allow him tell the Court what transpired between him and the Police”.

    In the process, the presiding Judge asked Alhaji Musa Usman, “Where are the people that were released to you”?.

    According to Alhaji Musa Usman, “On Friday 18th December 2015, around 11am one Sayyed Babangida called me and said that the Commissioner of Police wants to see us.

    “We met with him and he said that he has been given directives to release women and children. That he wants us to help him get buses to convey the women and children to their various destinations.

    “I made calls and got the buses and he said that we must conclude their evacuation within 10 minutes. The women and children were brought from various cells and put in the buses. I did not even see their faces. One of the buses took those going towards Abuja and Minna and another took those going towards Zaria and Kano. This is what happened on that day”.

    Okoye added, “My Lord I was not at the Police station when the Commissioner of Police and Alhaji Musa Usman entered into this agreement. My learned colleague the DPP of Kaduna State was not there.

    “Alhaji Musa Usman said he took a nursing mother on bail and a few accused persons with gunshot wounds but that the Police released women and children unconditionally. (The bail applications given to him).

    “My Lord, there are three documents. Alhaji Musa signed two of the documents but the last document contained a long list was fraudulently attached to a bail bond to give the impression that he took over sixty of the women and children on bail. The Police gave Alhaji Musa the last list on Friday the 6th day of May 2016″.

    But the presiding Judge said, “I have listened to the submissions of both parties concerning accused persons no 42-80. From the documents submitted by the DPP, Alhaji Musa sought for the bail of some of the accused persons and some were released to him.

    “The State preferred the charges before this court. It is noted that some accused persons are not in court and were released on bail by the Police.

    “It is the duty of the Police to ensure that the accused persons are in court. If Alhaji Musa does not fulfil the conditions of bail given by the Police, the Police know what to do”.

    To this end, Bayero demanded for a new date for the Sureties to producec the accused persons,  “I want a date for the sureties to produce the accused persons. We want a date after June 20, 2015”.

    But Okoye said, “We apply for an earlier date because all the accused persons before my Lord have been in custody since the 13th of December 2016. So many of them are sick and some are carrying gunshot wounds. We want a speedy trial for all of them.

    “The DPP has not shown that it is only after the 20th of June that the people can be produced. I humbly ask for an earlier date”.

    However, the presiding Judge adjourned the case, saying, “For the sake of fairness I will adjourn the matter to the 21st of June, 2016 for further mention”.