KEY POINTS

• Security forces in Abuja stopped the Shi’ite Maulud celebration due to non-existent permission.
• Shi’ite leaders disagree with police statements because they maintain that peaceful gatherings need no prior authorization.
• IMN demands justice from authorities while they maintain their religious activities despite security interventions.

During the religious Maulud celebration which honors the birth of Imam Mahdi security personnel interrupted a Shi’a Muslim gathering in Abuja thus causing public tension to rise.

Security personnel storm the venue before forcing believers to scatter

Sayyid Ibraheem El-Zakzaky through his Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN) organized the gathering which took place at Nigeria Airforce Investments Limited within the Federal Capital Territory boundaries.

The program began shortly when a convoy consisting of fifty security trucks and holding Nigerian Police Force, Army and DSS personnel with weapons entered and surrounded the venue. The Director of Levied Operations conducted the operation under the supervision of Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Magawata.

Event participants received instructions from security forces to leave the premises because the FCT Commissioner of Police did not grant authorization and the security personnel threatened to use force against noncompliance.

Shi’ites deny the police reasoning and claim their constitutional rights are being violated

Prof. Abdullahi Danladi from the IMN Resource Forum denounced the police action by criticizing the traumatic security methods that cost the sect members financially and socially.

Danladi demanded President Bola Tinubu together with security leadership to fulfill their responsibility of defending religious freedom in Nigeria.

The organization declared its dedication to progress with their religious observance practices while requesting harassment to stop and demanding justice for those responsible.