The Islamic Movement (IM), has blamed President Bola Tinubu and the Guards Brigade of the Nigerian Army for the alleged massacre of its members during the 2025 Abuja International Quds Day Procession where a confrontation with security operatives led to the death of some of its members, while several others were injured.
According to a statement late Saturday by the he Resource Forum of the Islamic Movement under the leadership of Sayyid Ibraheem Zakzaky, the IM had, on Friday, embarked on a procession in support of the Palestinian government and to protest the silence of the Nigerian government over the crisis between Israel and Palestine.
In the statement, Zakzaky narrated that the procession, which started peacefully at Usman Bin Affan Mosque in Wuse 2, Abuja, was violently disrupted by security forces using live ammunition on the unarmed civilians who were expressing solidarity with Palestine.
“A few minutes after the commencement of the procession, a team of the HQ Nigerian Army (the Guard Brigade) attacked the Quds programme using live ammunition; many sustained gunshots and life-threatening injuries and some lost their lives as a result of the brutality,” Zakzaky said.
The statement accused the soldiers of desecrating Islamic and cultural values by forcefully attacking their unarmed members.
“Apart from killing unarmed protesters, the army committed numerous atrocities, such as men arresting women in the premises of Usman Bin Affan Mosque, beating women and children and removing their hijabs within the outskirts of the mosque; these atrocities are taboo in Islam and Muslim culture,” the statement stated.
Zakzaky also dismissed reports that there was a confrontation between the group and the soldiers, emphasizing that the protesters were peaceful.
“Unlike reports that there was a clash or confrontation, there was no form of provocation from the participants warranting the brutality,” the statement said.
Zakzaky, however, linked the attack to a purported leaked letter from the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA), dated 26 March 2025, which he claimed instructed security forces to take “necessary action” against the procession.
“Since the release of this letter, the security agents, especially in the FCT, Abuja, got prepared for the aforementioned atrocities committed in Usman Bin Affan Mosque.
“The discordant in Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration is surprising. While speaking with Al-Jazeera in Doha, Qatar in March 2025, Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Tugar, Nigeria Minister of Foreign Affairs, stated that ‘Israel must stop its war on Gaza, and the World needs to drop its “double standards” over the killings in the besieged enclave.’
“Then in March 2025 the National Security Adviser is directing the security agents to attack free Palestine protesters in Abuja.”
The statement further provided the casualty figures during the confrontation, and confirmed that 380 protesters, including women and children, had been arrested and detained at SARS Abbator, Guzape, Abuja.
“Four of our members who were killed were Shaheed Ibraheem Dalhat (Sharif Albani), Shaheed Nasir Abubakar, Shaheed Abdulaziz Abubakar, and Shaheed Auwal Abbas Bichi.
“The number of casualties and corpses with the Guard Brigade and the Police are still unknown. Nevertheless, we will update the public in due course.
“We squarely hold Bola Ahmed Tinubu responsible for the atrocities committed by the Guard Brigade through killing, abusing Islamic tenet and Muslim culture while attacking 2025 Abuja International Quds within the vicinity of Usman Bin Affan, Jumu’at Mosque, Abuja.
“In view of the foregoing, we are demanding for unconditional release of all those arrested in connection with the 2025 Abuja International Quds procession held on 28 March, 2025.
“We are also demanding for the prosecution of those responsible for the killings of the free Palestine protesters,” the group stated.
Source: Ripples Nigeria
