20 Feared Killed As Nigerian Troops Arrest Shi’te Leader, Elzakzaky

The leader of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria, a
group propagating the spread of Shi’te Islam in
Nigeria, Ibrahim Elzakzaky, has been arrested by
Nigerian troops, following a siege on his Zaria
residence, PREMIUM TIMES can reveal.
A credible source in the sect’s hierarchy also told
PREMIUM TIMES that a top leader of the
movement, Muhammadu turi, and the head of the
medical team of the sect, Mustapha saidu, and
several others were killed during the siege.
The Nigerian Army and members of the sect have
accused each other of instigating attacks that led
to the death of members of the movement on
Saturday.
While the Army accused the Shiite followers of
attempting to assassinate Nigeria’s Chief of Army
Staff, Tukur Buratai, the Islamic movement said
soldiers simply decided to attack “defenseless
people”.
It was gathered that the Nigerian troops sustained
a crackdown on the members of the sect
throughout the night as heavy shootings and
sounds of explosions were heard in Gellesu and
Sokoto Road, where Hussainiyya – the spiritual
centre of the sect – is located.
Residents of the area told our reporter that they
saw armoured tanks demolishing the Hussainiyya
shrine and the residence of the leader of the sect.
A source at the military hospital in Chindit
Barracks Depot of the Nigerian Army, Zaria, told
PREMIUM TIMES that they received 19 bodies of
people killed in the encounter.
The spokesman of the Nigerian Army, Sani Usman,
could not be reached for comment and is yet to
release a statement on the arrest.