Members of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN), widely known as Shi’ites, have accused the Nigeria Police Force of serious human rights abuses. The group alleges that their members, detained during the recent Arba’een Trek in Abuja, are being denied access to legal counsel and visits from family members.
Speaking to the press in Abuja on Tuesday, Sheikh Rabiu Abdullahi, a prominent leader within the movement, expressed grave concerns about what he described as continuous human rights violations by police authorities.
Sheikh Abdullahi revealed that numerous IMN members were arrested during the Arba’een Trek, an annual religious procession. He also reported that on Monday, police officers attacked a private primary school near Airport Road, causing property damage and detaining innocent individuals.
The group strongly condemned the police’s actions at the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital in Gwagwalada, FCT, on August 27. According to the group, patients were arrested and detained during the operation, echoing a similar incident in 2019 when patients, including one Ja’afar Muhammad, were arrested and later died in police custody.
The IMN has filed a contempt of court suit against the Inspector General of Police, citing the police’s failure to pay a N100 million fine imposed by the Federal High Court in Abuja. The fine was awarded as compensation for the unlawful detention and death of Ja’afar Muhammad in 2019.
The Shi’ites have refuted police claims that they are a proscribed organization, emphasizing that they are a religious movement that cannot be banned. They have called on relevant authorities to step in, release their members unconditionally, and put a stop to what they describe as ongoing atrocities against them.
“We wish to draw the attention of the public, including human rights organizations and relevant authorities, to the ongoing acts of violence and lawlessness being carried out by the Nigerian Police Force,” said Sheikh Abdullahi. He continued, “The police attacked a private primary school around Airport Road, destroyed public and private properties, and arrested innocent people. We believe this is an attempt to cover up the heinous crimes they have committed.”
He further stated, “On Tuesday, August 27, 2024, around 9 a.m., we received credible reports that the police attacked the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital in Gwagwalada, FCT Abuja. The public may recall a similar operation in 2019 when the police arrested patients at the hospital and detained them at SARS. Those patients later died in police custody, and their corpses were dumped at Asokoro District Hospital.”
Sheikh Abdullahi also highlighted the continued denial of access to legal representation and family visits for their detained members, describing it as a deliberate act by security agents to frustrate their efforts. “We condemn, in the strongest terms, this act of terror against our innocent brothers and sisters, whose only crime was exercising their legal rights as enshrined in the Nigerian constitution,” he said.
He concluded by reaffirming the group’s stance: “The Islamic Movement is not an organization; it is a concept, an ideology, and a philosophy. Therefore, it cannot be proscribed. We call upon relevant authorities and all well-meaning individuals to call the NPF to order before things get out of control. We demand the unconditional release of all those arrested during the 2024 Abuja Arba’een.”
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