After Another Protest, Police Arrest 400 Shiites In Abuja

The FCT Police Command said it arrested about 400 members of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN) otherwise known as Shiites.

The Shiites had continued their protest for the fourth day running on Tuesday in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, resulting in residents running for their lives as they confronted the police in the Wuse 2 area.

Addressing the media on Wednesday at the command, FCT Commissioner of Police, Mr. Bala Ciroma, said that the command has intercepted and arrested some members of the El-Zakzakky Islamic Movement of Nigeria (Shiites) with 31 bottles of petrol bomb and other dangerous weapons being ferried into FCT.

He said that the members of the movement, without any provocation went on rampage and burnt down a Police Rapid Response Squad (RRS) patrol vehicle deployed at Ademola Adetokumbo Crescent, Wuse 2.

He further gave the highlight of the arrests as follows:

“On 30th October, 2018 at about 1230hrs police operatives on stop and search duty along Tipper garage Katampe intercepted and arrested one Mustapha Abdullahi ‘m’ 20 years of Ungwan Gwari Suleja with 18 bottles of petrol bombs carefully concealed in a travelling bag.

“To smuggle himself and the petrol bombs into the city, he disguised as a passenger and boarded a taxi with other unsuspecting passengers. He ran out of luck when the vigilant policemen on duty at the point upon reasonable suspicion intercepted the cab and conducted a search on the only bag in the car, which had in it the improvised bomb.

“Upon the discovery, the suspect was immediately arrested. Other exhibits recovered from the suspect include: two lighters and one dagger. The suspect will be arraigned in court upon the conclusion of investigation.”

He further stated that “on the same date at about 1130hrs, police operatives on stop and search at Dakwa FCT-Niger Boundary arrested one Abdullahi Umar ‘m’ 22 years of Gadan Karte, Ilela LGA of Sokoto State with a bag containing 13 well packaged bottles of petrol bomb. During interrogation, the suspect confessed that he arrived Suleja from Sokoto state on Sunday to join other members of their sect for the protest.

“He also confessed that he was ferrying the petrol bomb to FCT to confront law enforcement agents. One lighter was also recovered from the suspect. He will be arraigned in court upon the conclusion of investigation.”

CP Bello said that the 400 El-Zakzaky Islamic Movement of Nigeria members and their first aider, Salahuddeen Ahmad of Ilela LGA of Sokoto State arrested are currently being detained for discreet investigation; dangerous weapons were also recovered from them.

He said that the suspects will be arraigned in court upon the conclusion of investigation.