Nigeria: Shias stage nationwide protests after police forcefully remove hijabs during Arbaeen procession

Shia followers of Ahlulbayt, peace be upon them, across Nigeria have condemned the actions of police officers who forcibly removed the hijabs of several girls and women participating in the annual Arbaeen procession, considering it a grave insult to religious sanctities and a violation of personal rights.

Protests erupted nationwide in various cities, including Abuja, Kano, Sokoto, Kaduna, Zaria, Yobe, Gombe, Bauchi, Jos, Katsina, Kebbi, and Niger, according to local media reports monitored by Shia Waves Agency.

A video footage circulated on media platforms showed police officers removing the hijabs of Muslim women who were detained on what was described as false charges during their participation in the Arbaeen processions of Imam Hussein, peace be upon him.

The protesting Shia men and women expressed their strong condemnation of this disgraceful act, calling it a “deliberate and serious insult that falls under religious blasphemy laws against the beliefs of the faithful in the country.”

They also announced their intention to lodge a complaint with the Supreme Court to address these violations of citizens’ rights, particularly those of Muslim women, emphasizing that “the hijab is our religion, culture, and right, and any insult to this divinely mandated garment is an insult to Muslims and the religion of Islam.”