Nigerian security forces clash with Shia protesters

By Abu 'Adnan

LAGOS, Nigeria (AA) - A senior police officer was killed and three other people injured Monday in clashes between security forces and thousands of Shia protesters in Nigeria’s capital city of Abuja.

Deputy Police Commissioner Usman Umar was shot and later died of his injuries in a hospital, police spokesman Frank Mba said in a statement.

Two assistant superintendents of police and a staff member of Channels Television sustained serious injuries and are receiving treatment, the statement added.

It said the protesters also torched the office of emergency responders.

"The police have arrested 54 suspects in connection with the incidents. The suspects are undergoing interrogation and will be arraigned in court as soon as possible," the statement said.

In a counter statement, the Shia protesters said claims that they were carrying arms were not true, insisting they have chosen the path of peace.

The group said at least 11 Shias were killed in the bedlam.

"We strongly dispute the claim by the police that the protesters shot at them, because throughout our processions, we have not been carrying any arms right from 2015 to date," said Ibrahim Musa, a spokesman for the Shia.

"It was also the police who shot at the reporter of Channels TV, another indication that many innocent people were shot at by the police, including some of their own.

"In this era of social media, the brutality displayed by the police today has been captured, with some pictures showing the police setting up bonfires, and there are videos that captured the police carting away their victims," he added.

The Shia have stepped up their protests in the capital over the continued detention of their leader, Ibrahim El-Zakzaky, since 2015.

Monday's clash was the second between the group and the police in about a month, with analysts warning against a repeat of the Boko Haram crisis of 2009.