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El-Zakzaky Protests: We Showed Restraint Dealing With Shiites But We Won’t Next Time, Police Say

“We are ready for them. We will not explain our strategy but we will make sure we don’t allow them to disrupt the peace of the city."

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Mohammed Adamu, Nigeria's Inspector General of Police, has warned protesting Shiites to desist from disrupting the peace in Nigeria's capital city, Abuja or face a show of force. He gave the warning while paying a visit to policemen admitted at the National Hospital, Abuja, following injuries they sustained during Tuesday’s protest embarked by members of Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN) at the National Assembly.

Speaking with newsmen after the visit, Adamu said: “I have just seen them, they are carrying bullet wounds and some were attacked with clubs and stones. We showed restraint in terms of not going the same way the protesters went but it is an act that is not tolerated and it is an act we will not take again. 

“The right to express yourself does not mean the right to trample on other people’s rights to the extent of causing a lot of havoc and sufferings on other people. 

“We will make sure that we prosecute those people that have been arrested and those that are yet to be arrested, we will go after them and make sure that they are arrested and justice is done.

“We are ready for them. We will not explain our strategy but we will make sure we don’t allow them to disrupt the peace of the city. 

“We have arrested 40 members of the El-Zakzaky Islamic Movement of Nigeria and we will make sure that those on the run are also arrested. 

“In the course of protecting our citizens and giving room to people to express themselves, a group of people went overboard and attacked police officers in the course of performing their duties and you see the result; our officers have been shot. 

“All the policemen you have seen here, the doctor has assured us that they are in stable condition and they are doing well. As you know, police as an institution will take care of their bills, welfare, and insurance. So, for now, everything is in order and the rest of the actions are left to us in terms of how to handle the El-Zakzaky Islamic Movement of Nigeria.”