Many commuters were stranded in the federal capital territory (FCT) on Tuesday after soldiers clamped down on some members of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN).
The IMN members popularly known as Shiites were marching to the FCT metropolis from Mararaba in Nasarawa state when the soldiers stopped them.
The Shiites were said to be on an annual symbolic trek.
An attempt to prevent the IMN members from gaining entry to the FCT metropolis left many commuters trying to get to their workplaces stranded because of a blockade set up by the army.
Some Shiite female occupants of a vehicle headed for the city centre were reportedly assaulted by some soldiers after they recognised them.
They were later put in a van and whisked away to an unknown destination.
Also, some passersby were not spared of the harassment by the soldiers.
In July, a Kaduna high court discharged and acquitted Ibraheem El-Zakzaky, IMN leader, who spent about seven years in detention.
El-Zakzaky was arrested after some of his followers clashed with soldiers in Zaria, Kaduna, in 2015.
Six Feared Dead, Many Injured
Meanwhile, The Union Nigeria understands that a crossfire in Abuja between soldiers of the Nigerian Army and Shiite (IMN) protesters on Tuesday resulted in the death of some persons with many others also injured.
It was gathered that not less than six members of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria are feared dead as a result of the clash with security operatives in the nation’s capital city.
The clash was said to have occurred around Gwarimpa, close to Galadimawa in Abuja just as the Shiites were about to round off their Arbaeen Symbolic Trek.
The development caused huge confusion as the Shiite members as well as other residents and passers-by scampered for safety in the chaos that ensued.
The Secretary of Academic Forum of IMN, Abdullahi Musa who confirmed the incident to NaijaNews, alleged that the soldiers opened fire on the Shiite members and carried the bodies of the dead persons away.
“They are just shooting people. As I am talking to you now, six people have been killed. They even carried some dead bodies away,” he said.
The Union Nigeria could not reach the Nigerian Army Spokesperson at the time of this report.
