Police tear – gassed, arrested our members during religious Trek in Abuja, IMN alleges

The Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN) said despite rescheduling plans to observe its yearly Arbaeen trek tomorrow in Abuja to yesterday morning in a bid to avoid a clash with security agents and jeopardise the safety of residents, the Police teargased, molested and arrested its members.

In a statement issued yesterday and signed by president of the Academic Forum of the movement, Abdulahi Muhammad Musa, the group said it had been reliably informed that the Police and other security agents were scheming cause mayhem and blame it on the IMN; hence they chose to observe the trek yesterday, but were allegedly harassed by the Police.

“This year’s Arbaeen symbolic trek for tomorrow (today) here in Abuja had been rescheduled, because public safety together with properties is really prime and we decided against tomorrow for today (yesterday).

“In spite of the rescheduling, Police attacked the peacefully solemn match, teargasing, arresting and molesting the trekkers. “We discovered that the Police and other security agents have schemed to cause mayhem and violence to enable them put the blame on Sheikh Zakzaky’s followers, so as to accuse them of being responsible for it, like they did on July 22, this year at Federal Secretariat, where they killed a senior Police officer and a journalist,” the statement reads.The Arbaeen trek is observed as mourning for Imam Husain’s Arbaeen. IMN claimed that over 50 trekkers in Abuja lost their lives during the trek last year.