IMN accuses police of denying detained members access to lawyers, families

The Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN) has alleged that the police are denying its detained members legal representation and access to their families.

It also demanded the release of the detained members.

A leader of the group, Rabiu Abdullahi, said this at a press conference in Abuja on Tuesday.

PREMIUM Times reported that violence erupted between the police and some members of the proscribed movement, also known as Shi’ites, in Abuja last week.

The group’s members, also known as Shi’ites, were on their annual religious procession (Arba’een Trek) when the clash occurred around the popular Wuse market in the federal capital.

Two policemen died during the clash, while others sustained serious injuries. Consequently, the police arrested 97 members of the group.

Mr Abdullahi expressed concerns over what he termed as ongoing human rights violations by the police.

“We wish to draw the attention of the public, including human rights organisations and relevant authorities, to the ongoing act of violence and lawlessness being carried out by the Nigerian Police Force.

“We would also like to draw the attention of the public to the fact that the Police Forces have denied our brothers and sisters arrested on August 25, 2024, access to their families and lawyers. All the necessary efforts put in place to reach them and learn about their condition have been deliberately frustrated by security agents,” he said.

The IMN said the police stormed the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital in Gwagwalada on Tuesday, arrested the group’s members receiving treatment at the hospital, and took them into detention.

He said the force also attacked a private primary school around Airport Road on Monday, destroying properties and arresting innocent people.

“The police attacked a private primary school around Airport Road; destroyed public and private properties and arrested innocent people around the school. We have reasons to believe that this is an attempt to bury under the carpet the heinous crime they committed.

“Tuesday, August 27, 2024, around 9 a.m., a verifiable report reaching us revealed that the police attacked the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital, Gwagwalada, FCT Abuja,” he said.

He recounted that in 2019, an IMN leader, Ja’afar Muhammad, was arrested by the police during a similar operation and later died in custody.

“The public could recall that the police conducted a similar operation in 2019 where they arrested patients in the hospital and detained them at SARS. And eventually, those arrested at the hospital died in police custody, and the police dumped their corpses at Asokoro District Hospital,” he explained.

“We would like to condemn, in the strongest terms, this act of terror against our innocent brothers and sisters, whose only fault was exercising their legal rights as enshrined in the Nigerian constitution.

“We would like to make it categorically clear that the Islamic Movement is not an organisation; it is a concept, an ideology, and a philosophy. And therefore, it could not be proscribed,” he stated.

Mr Abdullahi said the group filed a contempt of court suit against the Inspector General of Police for failing to pay a N100 million fine awarded by the Federal High Court in Abuja for the unlawful detention and death of Mr Muhammad.

He insisted that IMN is not a proscribed organisation and urged relevant authorities to intervene quickly to ensure the unconditional release of its members.

“We call upon relevant authorities and all well-meaning individuals to call the NPF to order before things get out of control. We demand the unconditional release of all those arrested during the 2024 Abuja Arba’een,” he said.

When contacted, the FCT Police spokesperson, Josephine Adeh, declined comment. Instead, she referred this newspaper to an officer whose contact she did not provide.

“Contact Solomon, who attended the parade we had earlier today,” Ms Adeh said