The sect dismissed the claim by the police that “neither a shi’ite member nor anybody was killed or injured.”
The Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN) popularly called Shi’ite has said men of the Sokoto State Police Command are planning to violently disrupt the funeral of three of its members allegedly killed by the police during Ashura procession.
The President, Media Forum of the IMN, Ibrahim Musa, had earlier alleged that the police used live bullet to disperse their members during a procession, killing three persons.
The sect dismissed the claim by the police that “neither a shi’ite member nor anybody was killed or injured.”
The group gave the names of those allegedly killed to include Bello Muhammad Illela, Imrana Umar Yabo and Hasan Abubakar Sokoto, claiming that 12 others were seriously injured and were being treated by the Islamic Movement.
The IMN called on the police in Sokoto State to own up to the alleged killing with the view of paying ‘blood ransom’ as prescribed by Islamic Shari’a and offer apologies to the public
The Resource Forum of the Muslim Brothers and Sisters of the Shia Minority Group in a statement sent to SaharaReporters on Thursday said top hierarchy of the police have fabricated fictitious security report suggesting that the group was planning violent revenge only as a pretext to disrupt the intended funeral of those killed.
The statement read, “In what appears to be a cover up plan by the Sokoto State Police Command, there is an orchestrated move to violently disrupt the funeral of three brothers who were violently killed by the police during the Ashura Peaceful Procession on the 19th August, 2021.
“It can be recalled that the police in Sokoto state, in a press release, impudently denied the responsibility of the violent attack on the Peaceful Ashura procession undertaken by the brothers of the Islamic Movement.
“The overwhelming evidence against the police, has made the command restless and uncomfortable to the point of contemplating any sinister plan to bury the evidence against them.
“It is against this background that credible source suggest that the top hierarchy of the Police in the state fabricates fictitious security report suggesting that the Shiites are planning violent revenge only as a pretext to disrupt the intended funeral of the three of its slain members by the police.
“The government and people of Sokoto State and indeed all human rights stakeholders are hereby informed that any such contrived security alert is baseless and remain only a distraction by the police to bury their heads in shame after such a grave act of violence against peaceful group of people exercising their inalienable right to freedom of religion, conscience and thought.
“The general public is also hereby assured that our response to this act of violence by the police will be within the bounds of the law, as have been with the series of legal actions taken to ensure the enforcement of our fundamental human rights as sanctioned by the constitution.
“Violence has never been our trademark and we have never been known for violence even against those who unleashes any form of violent attack on us as a group.
“As usual, the funeral of our martyrs will hold peacefully as provided by the law and in accordance with the Islamic religious rites.”