?Threatens court action over detained minors, others

Members of the Shi?ites Islamic group have urged the Nigeria Police Force to urgently release corpses of its 26 members who it claimed were killed during March 28 encounter with security agents in Abuja.

The group, speaking through its team of lawyers led by Bala Dakum, threatened to resort to initiating court action should the police ignore its request, including for the release of the about 274 members detained, including 60 minors.

Speaking in Abuja on Friday evening, Dakum claimed that the decision by the police to hold on to the corpses of those killed, knowing fully well that they are Muslims, who ought to be buried promptly, was intended as a way of psychologically torturing members of the group.

Dakum said: ?Our clients came out on 28th March, 2025 to commemorate their annual international Quds day like their counterparts across the globe.

?While peacefully carrying out their procession in Banex Area, Wuse Il, Abuja in their thousands, they unexpectedly and surprisingly came across group of armed soldiers who without any provocation started firing live ammunitions at them.

?In the cause of this inhumane, callous, cruel, barbaric and most horrific attack on our clients, about 26 persons lost their lives, over 30 persons sustained various degrees of life threatening injuries and about 274 were arrested by the soldiers.

?Our clients were later handed over to the Nigeria Police Force, who took them to the now defunct infamous SARS in Abattoir, Garki, Abuja where they were detained under very harsh and dehumanising condition.

?The corpses are now deposited in secret hospitals, which is against Islamic rites that provides for prompt and immediate burial of deceased persons.

?This, we must say is strange, knowing that the dead bodies cannot be investigated or tried,? he said.

The lawyer claimed that among those currently being detained in terrible conditions and allegedly forced to write statements in the absence of their lawyers, are about 60 minors.

He added: ?It is pertinent to note that on all occasions when our clients carried out their processions in Abuja or any part of this country without the involvement of the security agencies, it has always been peaceful.

?Even on the said 28th Day of March, 2025 when our clients were killed here in Abuja, all other procession across the country were peaceful.

?The world must know that our clients in Nigeria have been under attack for over 11 years.

?It suffices to submit that there is a grand plan by the Nigerian government to permanently deprive our clients of their rights to freedom of worship, association and expression which are all guaranteed under the Nigerian constitution and the international charter on human and people?s rights,? Dakum said. (The Nation)

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