The angry protesters also burnt the U.S. flag and displayed placards condemning the killing of Soleimani.
Members of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN), otherwise known as Shi’ites on Tuesday in Abuja protested against the killing of Qasem Soleimani, a top Iranian General by the United States in 2020.
The angry protesters also burnt the U.S. flag and displayed placards condemning the killing of Soleimani.
On January 3, 2020, a U.S. airstrike killed Soleimani at Baghdad International Airport. The drone targeted and killed Soleimani while he was on his way to meet Iraqi Prime Minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi in Baghdad.
Soleimani was commander of the Quds Force, one of five branches of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), and was considered the second most powerful person in Iran, subordinate to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
The protesters marched in a procession in solidarity with the slain Iranian General from Banex Plaza to Ahamadu Bello Roundabout in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The Secretary of the Academic Forum of the movement, Abdullahi Muhammad Musa said the protest and burning of the U.S. flag were done to show their grievances regarding the brutal killing of a man who stood by terrorism victims globally.
"Today's protest is to show our stand against injustice, oppression and the global terrorism perpetrated by America and its allies," Abdullahi said.
A statement personally signed by the Shi’ite leader, Sheikh Ibraheem El-Zakzaky reads, "It is three years since we lost this great Mujahid who has been an icon of the struggle against terrorism and whose murder has exposed who are the real terrorists.
"The U.S. boasted of taking responsibility for his murder. This clearly shows that they were all behind the terrorist activities in the Middle East, particularly in Iraq and Syria, where they have packages of terrorist groups under different names of DAESH, ISIS, and the like.
"No doubt, they have made a grievous mistake by the murder of General Qaseem Soleimani. First, they have exposed themselves; and secondly, they have made his name and himself immortal. They have immortalised him by this murder and they also immortalised the struggle in which he has given his life.
"We pray to Allah (Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala ) to have mercy on the soul of General Qaseem Soleimani and his colleague Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis and those martyrs in the course of freedom in the Middle East and the entire world. We also hope and pray that their legacy will remain indelible (insha’Allah) until the final victory over the world arrogance and the establishment of justice all over.”