Thousands of Nigerians call for release of Sheikh Zakzaky and his followers

rallies across the country calling for the immediate release of jailed Shia cleric and leader

Nigerians held new protest rallies across the country calling for the immediate release of jailed Shia cleric and leader of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN), Sheikh Ibrahim Zakzaky.

On Thursday, demonstrators took to the streets in several cities, including Zaria, Kano, Kaduna, Yola, in large numbers to protest against the killings of Shia Muslims by the Nigerian army and the continued detention of IMN leader and members.

Abdulhamid Bello, a spokesperson of the Youth Wing of the IMN, which organized the protest, said the movement’s supporters would continue to hold peaceful protests in pursuit of their demands.

On December 12 last year, Nigerian soldiers attacked Shia Muslims attending a ceremony at a religious center in Zaria, accusing them of blocking the convoy of the army’s chief of staff and attempting to assassinate him. The Shias have categorically denied the allegations.