No fewer than three members of Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN) died while four soldiers were injured as fresh Shiites, soldiers clash broke out in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital city, on Monday.
Left, members of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria, and, right, one of the injured soldier, receiving treatment in a medical facility.
There was however no panic in the land as people were seen going about their normal businesses within the Abuja metropolis, despite attempt to make it look like big security issues by some political elements, who tried to exploit the situation for their politicisation activities.
Confirming the clash was the Nigerian Army, which said only three members of the Shiite group, Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN), were killed in a clash with soldiers on Monday at Kugbo in Abuja.
In a statement posted on its Facebook account, the Army also said four soldiers were injured in what it described as an attack on soldiers by the IMN.
The statement said: “Troops of the Nigerian Army deployed on routine duty at Kugbo/ Karu bridge checkpoint of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) were attacked by the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN) sect at about 3:00pm on 29th October 2018.”
“The sect in massive numbers forced their way into the troop’s checkpoint after over running the Police Force. The Police withdrew to own troops position to join efforts to repel them,” it added.
The Army said: “They fired weapons at own troops, throwing bottle canisters with fuel, large stones, catapults with dangerous objects and other dangerous items at troops causing bodily harm and stopping motorist movement, breaking their windscreen and causing heavy traffic.”
“However, troops repelled the attack in conjunction with the Nigerian Police Force to stop the situation from further deteriorating.
It added that, “Unfortunately, during the encounter three members of the sect were killed while four soldiers sustained various degrees of injuries and are being treated at a military medical facility.”
The statement said: “The situation has been brought under control and normalcy restored in the general area and there is free flow of traffic.”
The Army enjoined members of the public living within Abuja and environs to go about their normal activities without fear of molestation.
The IMN had earlier yesterday claimed that there were plans by the Nigerian Army to kill its members as they embark on the annual Arbaeen Symbolic Trek.
This was contained in a statement on Monday by the Secretary of the Academic Forum of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria, Engr. Abdullahi Muhammad Musa.
