Abuja remains in a tense state following clash between police and Shiite movement

NIGERIA'S federal capital Abuja remains in a tense state following bitter clashes between the police and the Shiite Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN) who staged a protest yesterday demanding the release of their spiritual leader Sheikh Ibrahim El-Zakzaky.

In 2015, Sheikh El-Zakzaky was arrested after his members had a confrontation with the motorcade of the chief of army staff, Lt General Tukur Buratai, in Zaria, Kaduna State and has been in detention since. Yesterday, IMN members protested in Nyanya in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and Mararaba in Nasarawa State, demanding his release but the protests turned ugly.

Following the clash with the police, residents of Mararaba/Nyanya and its environs are still suffering from the effects as it remains gridlocked. Many residents, who closed from work last night had to work home and the few commercial vehicles on the road increased their fares while many cars were parked by the roadside following overheating and other faults resulting from the gridlock.

Local people also lamented that in spite of the number of people resident in those satellite towns, there was only one major route through the Mararaba/Keffi road. About 53 IMN members were arrested by the police in Abuja following a violent protest.

On Sunday, the Nigerian Army confirmed that three members of the sect died on Saturday, while two soldiers sustained injuries when they clashed with troops at Zuba in the FCT. In the wake of the disturbances, the FCT command had assured residents of adequate security against planned protests by the IMN in the territory.