“Again, police authorities are yet to release 12 corpses to their bereaved families for funeral."
The Islamic Movement in Nigeria has demanded the immediate release of 12 corpses of its members killed on July 22 during a clash with security operatives in Abuja.
IMN condemned the police for holding on to the bodies when they ought to have been buried according to Islamic rights.
The group made the demand in a statement by one of its members, Abdullahi Musa, in Abuja, Nigeria's capital, on Wednesday.
Musa said, “We wish to inform the public about the continuous incarceration of the victims of Monday, 22nd July 2019 police brutality.
"The victims had been severely injured before being whisked away, and they are still languishing in police custody.
“Again, police authorities are yet to release 12 corpses to their bereaved families for funeral.
"Nine of them were killed at the Federal Secretariat, Abuja, three died in their detention.
“The families of those killed have made several attempts to collect the corpses but the police rejected their request.
"Now, over two weeks after the incident, the corpses are still with the police.
“Likewise, police authorities continue to detain 63 protesters without taking them to court.
"Out of the 63, 11 people sustained various degrees of serious injuries that required urgent medical attention."
The group further alleged that some members who attempted to get medical treatment at the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital where whisked away to an unknown location.