No fewer than 19 members of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN), also known as Shi’ites, have been arrested by the police over having a procession.
A combined team of policemen and soldiers on Thursday dispersed protesting members of the group with teargas in Abuja, the nation's capital.
The Shi’ites on Thursday continued their protest to demand the release of the passports of their leader, Sheikh Ibraheem El-Zakzaky and his wife, Zeenah, who had been acquitted and discharged by a Kaduna high court.
The protest, which kick-started at Federal High Court in Maitama was abruptly terminated at Eagle Square near the Federal Secretariat when armed security operatives arrived and attacked them.
The incident led to pandemonium in the area as passers-by were seen scampering to safety.
Many protesters sustained varying degrees of injury while others were seen lying unconscious on the ground after being hit by teargas canisters.
The Federal Capital Territory Police Command on Thursday in a statement signed by its spokesperson, SP Josephine Adeh, confirmed the arrest of some of the protesters.
"IMN members numbering over 400 staged a protest from Federal High Court to Eagle Square blocking roads following the court’s ruling on the passport of their leader, Sheikh Ibrahim El-Zakzaky.
"The protest was after the court rejected an application filed by El-Zakzaky asking the Department of State Services (DSS) to release his passport and that of his wife.
"However, Justice Obiora Egwuatu in his ruling said El-Zakzaky failed to prove that the DSS took the passports away, after his return from India.
"IMN members threw stones and other dangerous objects at the police officers and they were, however, dispersed with 19 of them arrested and will be charged to court," the police said.