An inspector in the Nigerian Police Force (NPF) was on Thursday stabbed and stoned to death by members of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN) who were protesting the detention of their leader, Sheikh Ibraheem El-Zakzaky and his wife, Zeenatu presently standing trial at a Chief magistrate court in Kaduna.

The case which earlier came up on Thursday before the protest commenced caused massive traffic gridlock in Kaduna metropolis and grounded business and commercial activities at all exits and entrances leading to the court located in Gabasawa police station were cordoned off by security agents causing undue hardship on commuters.

An eyewitness told our correspondent, that the policeman who was among the troops deployed to stop the protesting Shi'ites was over-powered by the sect member around Ahmadu Bello Way by Kano road in the state’s metropolis.

He said, “The policemen were firing tear gas and live ammunition into the air and had. to some extent, succeeded in pushing the protesters back, but they over-powered one mobile policeman around Kano road by Ahmadu Bello Way. He was mobbed to death and they even took his gun away.”

The police spokesperson in Kaduna, ASP Mukhtar Aliyu confirmed the killing of the inspector.

He said, “Our officer was stabbed and stoned to death by IMN members yesterday while they were protesting, he died on the way to the hospital and was confirmed dead at the Barau Dikko hospital.

“We have arrested 11 persons in connection with his murder including the five we arrested in connection with Wednesday’s protest. They will be charged to court and prosecuted accordingly.”

He said that the police were able to contain the situation and allowed free flow of traffic adding that normalcy has since returned to the state.

Meanwhile, our correspondent reports that journalists who arrived at the court as early as 7am were barred from gaining access into the court premises, but where allowed to stand far away and observer happening from outside.

It was further gathered from a source that did not what to be mentioned that “The judge was hit by a tricycle rider on Wednesday while heading towards a barbing saloon.”

However, speaking to journalists after the court proceedings, counsel to Zakzaky and wife, Femi Falana SAN said, “The court did not sit, we were informed by the registrar of the court that the presiding justice, Gideon Kurada is indisposed and in the circumstance, we have to take a date.

“The prosecution and defense counsel have agreed to come back on the 11^th of July, 2018 to have, possibly the arraignment. We have filed an application for bail of our clients,” he disclosed.

Commenting on the charges metered on the Sheikh, he said, “We are prepared to challenge the charges because as of today, our clients, the Nigerian state, have been ordered to release our clients since December 2016 specifically on the 2^nd of December. That they are still being held by the government is the height of contempt and to compound the contempt, the government has brought them to court for offences they know nothing about.”

Highlighting some of the charges, he said, “They are charging them with all manners of offences and since those offences have not been read in court, we don’t know whether they are going to change their minds, but as far as we are concerned, we are demanding for justice for our clients that the orders of court for their release and provision of housing for them ought to be obeyed before any further step is taken, because the rule of law cannot be cowed as it is being done now.”

He said though his clients are in court today (yesterday), they are being detained by the state and described El-Zakzaky’s state of health as ‘very bad’.

He assured that they will take up the military way the state is going about the case by barring journalists from witnessing the court proceedings saying, “We are in a democracy and the general public has a right to know what transpired in court because this is a public matter.

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