SARS officers tortured, killed our members, Shiites allege

The Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN), popularly known as Shiites, have joined in condemning the disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) of the police, alleging that its members were mass arrested and dumped at SARS holding cell where they were beaten, tortured and some killed.

In a communiqué signed by Abdullahi Musa for the Academic Forum of IMN, the group condemned “police brutality against peaceful ‘Free Zakzaky’ protesters,” after they were reportedly shot at and dispersed in Kaduna on Monday.

They said the campaign against illegal detention, destruction of property, extortion, torture, harassment, and execution of El-Zakzaky’s supporters could never be condoned by any civilised society, and should not be overlooked here in Nigeria.

“What excuse have the police for killing or injuring protesters who simply call for the immediate and unconditional release of an oppressed personage the army had traced to his residence, sprayed him and his wife with bullets, killing his three sons, eliminating over a thousand of his followers, dragging him on the gory corpses of the sons, and razing his residence?” the group queried.

It alleged that on July 22, 2019, police opened fire on ‘free Zakzaky’ protesters at the Federal Secretariat, killing 12 on the spot while another three died in SARS detention centre.

According to the body, despite the judgment by Justice Taiwo Taiwo of the Federal High Court, the police are still detaining eight corpses of ‘free Zakzaky’ protesters at the National Hospital and Asokoro District Hospital, Abuja.

While urging the Nigerian youths to keep calling for the end of injustice, the group reiterated that “brutality of the police and military will not at all deter us from demanding the release of our leader, who has been sick and in detention for almost half a decade now. Either he is freed or we remain in Abuja streets calling for his freedom.”