Two individuals lost their lives on Thursday in Kaduna State when security operatives dispersed members of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN), also known as Shiites, during a protest against the ongoing war in Palestine.
The protesters intended to march to the office of the National Human Rights Commission to submit a letter in support of the people of Gaza.
As the Shiites began their procession, police operatives reportedly fired tear gas and shot sporadically to disperse the protesters.
A commercial motorcycle operator (okada man) was killed by a stray bullet, while another passerby also lost their life about 200 meters along the Sokoto road near the Chicken Market in Kaduna.
A Shiite leader, Aliyu Umar Tirmidhi, stated that they were peacefully protesting against the killing of innocent Palestinians in Gaza.
He condemned the Israeli occupiers for unleashing genocide, ethnic cleansing, and apartheid on unarmed civilians.
The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), ASP Mansir Hassan, blamed the protesters for the crisis, alleging that only one person was killed by the Shiites.
He claimed that the police were on the street to prevent a breakdown of the law and exonerated the police for the killings, stating that their men were not responsible.
