Shiite Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN) has alleged killing of about 100 of its members including women and children by Nigerian police during its trek in Kano on Monday.

A statement signed by President, Media Forum of the IMN Ibrahim Musa alleged that “well armed police men in close to 100 police trucks opened fire on the peaceful Arbaeen trek to Zaria in the outskirts of Kano metropolis, killing close to a 100 members of the Islamic movement (IMN) including women and children.”

The statement however, added that “the exact number of those killed or maimed by police bullets is still being ascertained since most of the corpses were again ferried away by the police (possibly for mass burial).”

The IMN insisted that, the trek had started like in previous years solemnly, orderly and peacefully without hitches. Shortly after, a contingent of armed policemen appeared and started firing tear-gas on the trekkers without provocations.

The statement also said that because of the massive turnout, the trek continued and when IMN members reached a neighborhood called Kwanar Dawaki, about five Kilometers from Kano, police opened fire on the trekkers with live ammunition. The firing by the police was randomly carried out that they also hit their colleague, and we are not unmindful of possibility they would claim we did it, similar to what they did in Zaria.

"Their antecedent and evil schemes are glaring. Already they have engaged the services of unscrupulous paid agents to push down the throats of the public that it was ‘clash’ or even ‘exchange of fire’ through falsified news reports.

“What vindicates us, however, is the very peaceful conduct of previous and present treks.

“The World bears witness to our peaceful conduct in the face of persecution. No one can simply attribute violence to us overnight.

“We learnt of the attack as it was being plotted and we exposed it much earlier. That the security forces brazenly executed it in broad daylight only further exposes who actually are the assailants.

“IMN is left bewildered as to why it is now criminal for some people to choose to trek to a certain town of their wish on foot, while not impeding the smooth flow of traffic along the highway. We view the unwarranted killings by the police as continuation of the army pogrom started in Zaria last year,” the statement said.

They called on the Governor of Kano State not to turn the peaceful atmosphere enjoyed in the state into one where innocent lives are being wasted on the slightest excuse.

They also call on the police authorities to hand over the dead to them, adding: “They must not be buried in a mass grave like was done by their counterpart in Kaduna State did, because it is a crime against humanity.

“We will conclude by reiterating our 11 month old demand of freeing our illegally detained leader, Sheikh Ibraheem Zakzaky, and all those in captivity with him.”

•Photo shows younger members of the Nigerian Shiite Movement during a procession.

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