Police Attacked Ashura Mourners In Kaduna, Gombe, Illela, Katsina, Dutsinma Among Other Cities, Killing Scores and Arrested Many

By Abdullahi Isah Wasagu
Nigerian Security Forces  teargassed and opened fire on Ashura mourning procession in several places in Nigeria killing scores and arrested many.

 In Kaduna the procession commenced in the early hours of today in the city of Kaduna to avoid involving other citizens since police in Kaduna are vehement in it’s opposition to the Shi’ites conducting religious rites in the state.

No sooner had the protest started when they violently attacked it with live ammunition killing and wounding several people.

The dirty work was same in Gombe, Illela, Dutsinama, and Katsina among other cities that details of the crackdown are yet to be compiled. In Illela, they also killed many innocent Ashura mourner.

In Gombe, after rain of bullets on the armless mourners, yet, at about 1:00p.m. while gathering this report, the Police security forces also siege the house premises of Sheikh Mohammad Abbare, the Head of brothers in Gombe and nearby regions.

Same is the story in Katsina, after attempting to attack the peaceful Ashura procession, they finally take a siege also at the city.

This form of unreasonable crackdown on armless citizens who the world witnessed the gross injustice mated on them and their innocent leader that is still in illegal confinement in contempt of Court orders for over 3 years, is being asked for with wonder, as incomprehensible measure taking by the government that is claiming a democratic state.

Ashura religious mournings and processions on the 10th of Muharram of every new Islamic Calendar  have been taking place peacefully carried out, annually for over 30 years since the beginning of the Movement in late 70’s leads by Sheikh Ibraheem Zakzaky (H).

With all the gross injustice mated on these peaceful followers of Sheikh Ibraheem Zakzaky, the leader himself for over 3 years since the inception of Buhari administration in 2015, why the administration is always using the commencement of the first month of the Islamic calendar, Muharram, to persecute, kill and maim the peaceful followers of this Movement and deny them their religious rites as expected ?