Members of the house of
representatives have adjourned their sitting after members of the Islamic
Movement of Nigeria (IMN) better known as Shi’ites broke into the National
Assembly complex premises on Tuesday, resulting in an exchange with security
operatives.
Femi Gbajabiamila, the speaker,
announced this saying lawmakers would have to adjourn “due to security
concerns” while an executive session would be held to deliberate the incident.
The Shi’ites broke down the first
gate and proceeded to the second, which serves as the main entrance to the
complex.
However, security operatives on
ground repelled the protest with gunshots fired into the air to disperse the
protesters.
They are protesting the continued
detention of Ibrahim Elzakzaky, their leader.
At the time of filing this
report, the Shi’ites were burning some vehicles parked close to the gate while
more security operatives are being deployed to the scene.
We could not immediately
confirm if there has been any casualty in the incident but a police officer is
said to have been shot in the head.
Witnesses revealed that the
officer was overpowered and subsequently shot by one of the Shi’ites. It was
learnt he has been rushed to the hospital.
The protesters numbering over a
hundred were also heard chanting songs of solidarity for their leader who has
been in detention since 2015.
Tuesday’s incident is the second
time in less than three months the Shi’ites are invading the legislative
complex.
A similar encounter with security
operatives in April had caused the lawmakers to hurriedly adjourn plenary.
El-Zakzaky was arrested after the
Shi’ites clashed with a convoy of the chief of army staff in Kaduna state in
2015.
There have been court orders
granting him bail but the government insists on detaining him thereby agitating
his followers.
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