Members of the Islamic Movement, also known as the Shiites, on Sunday, demanded the unconditional release of six of their members allegedly detained by the police during a peaceful protest in solidarity with the people of Palestine.
The Islamic group, in a statement made available by Sheikh Sidi Munir Mainasara Sokoto, under the leadership of His Eminence Sheikh Ibraheem Zakzaky (H), alleged that five of its members were whisked away on May 31, 2024, while on May 7, 2021, a member, Yahuza Haruna Masaka, had since been in custody.
Sokoto said those arrested on May 31, 2024, by a team of police from the FCT Police Command within the premises of the National Mosque in Abuja include Ishaq Haruna, Nura Attahir, Ali Muhammad, Abba Abdulkareem and Abubakar Hamidu.
They said all efforts by family members and lawyers to have access to them proved abortive.
"We would like to draw the attention of the public to a strange act of unprofessionalism by the police.
"On May 31, 2024, a team of police from the FCT Police Command arrested free-Palestine protesters within the premises of the National Mosque in Abuja.
"Reliable information confirmed that Ishaq Haruna and the four others are being detained at the SARS Police Detention Facility, Garki, Abuja, known as the abattoir.
"All efforts by their families and lawyers to reach the arrested protesters prove abortive.
"Have police operatives cast caution to the winds and dived into what they had been employed to contain? Police are supposed to be for the preservation of law and order.
"It is well known to all that the Nigerian government is supporting the creation of the State of Palestine.
"Moreover, there is a Palestinian Ambassador in Nigeria, and there is also a Nigerian Ambassador to Palestine based in Egypt.
"Recently, Nigerian Foreign Minister, Yusuf Tuggar, stated that there is no justification for the carnage in Palestine.
"In spite of the above, the police in Nigeria continue to arrest and detain free-Palestine protesters.
"These acts of police raised a lot of questions for investigation.
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"There is a need to know whether the Nigerian Police are working for Nigeria or Israel, or if there are some Israel agents in the Nigerian Police that are promoting the interests of Israel and supporting the Israel massacre in Palestine", Sokoto said.
According to him, these questions need to be answered because this is not the first time the police are executing these unprofessional and illegal operations.
"For instance, on May 7, 2021, around 1430 hours, police whisked Yahuza Haruna Masaka off to an undisclosed detention facility.
"To this very moment, they have, in a vicious manner, denied his family any access to him.
"Yahuza Haruna arrived at Wuse, Zone 3, Abuja FCT, to participate in a pro-Palestine protest organised by the followers of Sheikh Ibraheem Yaqoub Zakzaky (H).
"After the protest, Yahuza Haruna tried to reach out to his younger sister (Rahma Salihu) in order to give her a bus fare and enable her to return home.
"Yahuza saw her in a Toyota Coaster bus and moved closer to talk to her. Unknown to him, the bus, together with the people on board, had been arrested by the police.
"As the police caught sight of him talking to his female sibling, they descended on him, beating him and whatnot. The bus, with the 62 people already under so-called arrest, was moved off to Eagle Square.
"At that point in time, Yahuza was handed over to the patrol team in a Hilux van, and the 62 people were moved to Eagle Square.
"At Eagle Square, the police tortured them inhumanely, even using electric shocks, which led to the sudden and unfortunate demise of Naziru Mu’azu from Isa Local Government Area of Sokoto State, and 44 people sustained varying degrees of critical injuries.
"Even though Yahuza’s younger sister, Rahma Salihu, was taken to the Anti-Vice Unit of Police, Wuse Zone 5, and she was later released.
"For the past 3 years, all efforts to locate Yahuza Haruna have been abortive. Abduction has become rife in Nigeria, but it is sad and disastrous for the police to behave this way.
"While condemning the unlawful abduction and detention of Yahuza Haruna Masaka, Ishaq Haruna, Nura Attahir, Ali Muhammad, Abba Abdulkareem, and Abubakar Hamidu by the FCT Police, we are demanding their unconditional release", he concluded.
