By Zailani Mustapha The Islamic Movement in Nigeria, under the leadership of His Eminence Sayyid Ibraheem Zakzaky, has accused...
By Zailani Mustapha
The Islamic Movement in Nigeria, under the leadership of His Eminence Sayyid Ibraheem Zakzaky, has accused the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of refusing to release the corpses of pro-Palestine protesters killed during the 2025 International Quds Day demonstration in Abuja.
In a statement signed by Shaikh Sidi Munir Mainasara and released on Saturday, the movement said that the Nigerian Army’s Guards Brigade carried out an unprovoked attack on peaceful demonstrators during the annual Quds Day event, resulting in the extrajudicial killing of 26 protesters and the arrest of 274 others, including 60 minors.
The incident occurred on Friday, March 28, 2025, at Usman Bin Affan Mosque along Aminu Kano Crescent in the Wuse II area of Abuja. The movement claims that the military's actions were unjustified and targeted peaceful participants showing solidarity with Palestine.
According to the statement, one of the victims, Huzaifa Muhammad from Tudun Iya, Katsina State, allegedly died in custody on April 7 at the SARS Abattoir detention facility in Guzape, Abuja.
"The regime continues to detain the bodies of the Free Palestine protesters killed by the Guards Brigade in Abuja," the statement read. "The Presidential Guards Brigade operates under a clear chain of command, which begins with the President himself."
Quds Day, initiated in 1979 by the late Iranian cleric Ayatollah Khomeini, is an annual day of global solidarity with the Palestinian people and is observed peacefully in over 80 countries, including more than 17 states across Nigeria. The IMN noted that Quds Day processions in other Nigerian cities—such as Lagos, Kano, and Sokoto—were conducted without incident.
The movement has demanded the immediate and unconditional release of all detained protesters as well as the return of the bodies of those killed.
"We have directed our legal counsels to initiate legal proceedings to prosecute those responsible for the killings and to sue all agents of the regime involved in the extrajudicial executions," the statement added.
There has been no official response yet from the Nigerian military or the presidency regarding the allegations as of the time of filing this report.
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