Shi’ites dare gun-wielding policemen in Abuja

Armed policemen blocked all access roads leading to the federal secretariat, Abuja, following a massive protest by members of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN) on Thursday.

The sect held the protest as part of the activities  to mark Ashura procession, one of its annual festivities.

Security operatives also barricaded the roads around Eagle Square, leading to traffic gridlock and forcing motorists to make use of alternative routes.

This disrupted the plan of the protesters who intended marching to Eagle Square. However, most of them vowed not to succumb to what they described as “antics of oppressive forces”.

Some of them were seeing picking stones along the road. They eventually waded through the barriers mounted by the security operatives and gained access to the federal secretariat, daring gun-wielding officers who attempted to stop them.

Shouts of “Allah Akbar”, “Free Sheik Zakzaky”, rented the air as they marched on.