The leader of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria, Sheikh Ibraheem El-Zakzaky, has been arrested by soldiers after long hours’ siege on his residence in Zaria.
One of his followers confirmed his arrest to Channels Television.
“I saw armoured tanks demolishing the Hussainiyya shrine and the residence of Sheikh El-Zakzaky,” he said.
The Nigerian Army and members of the sect have accused each other of instigating attacks that led to the death of members of the movement on Saturday and Sunday morning.
While the army accuse the sect members of attempting to assassinate the Chief of Army Staff, Lt General Tukur Buratai, the Islamic Movement said soldiers opened fire on defenceless innocent people who were on a peaceful procession.
A top leader of the movement, Muhammadu Turi, and the head of the medical team of the sect, Mustapha Saidu, and several others were killed during the siege. A source at the military hospital in Chindit Barracks Depot of the Nigerian Army, Zaria, told PREMIUM TIMES that they received 19 bodies of people killed in the encounter.
It was gathered from residence that heavily armed soldiers sustained a crackdown on the members of the movement throughout Saturday night till the early hours of Sunday.
Heavy shootings were heard in Gullesu and Sokoto road, where the spiritual centre of the sect is located.
The Islamic Movement claimed that over 500 of their members were killed by soldiers in Zaria, Kaduna State.
They called on the international community and human rights groups to probe the killings. The Islamic movement has over a million members, mostly in Kaduna and Kano states.
