Pro-Iran demonstrations held by Nigeria's Shia community amid heavy police presence

Nigeria's capital played host to a significant gathering of Shia Muslims on Friday, as they staged a rally in support of Iran, brandishing images of the late ayatollah and voicing their discontent with the United States.

n

Approximately 200 faithful Shia Muslims congregated at the Abuja National Mosque following afternoon prayers, where they chanted slogans denouncing Israel and the US, as witnessed by an AFP reporter, amidst the ongoing bombardments that have been targeting the Islamic republic for two weeks.

n

The protesters' chants of "Shame to America, shame to Israel" filled the air as police officers looked on at the mosque, where the demonstration was being led by the Islamic Movement of Nigeria, a pro-Iran group representing Nigeria's Shia minority.

n

The crowd's decision to gather within the mosque grounds seemed to catch security forces off-guard, but the protesters dispersed after a brief 15 minutes, without incident.

n

The Islamic Movement of Nigeria, which has been banned by Nigerian authorities since 2019 for advocating an Islamic revolution, has been characterized by researchers as a group more focused on protest rather than engaging in political violence.

n

Prior to the current unrest, the IMN had organized marches through major cities in Nigeria's Muslim-majority north on March 1, in response to the US-Israeli bombing campaign that resulted in the death of Iranian leader Ali Khamenei and sparked a regional war in the Middle East.

n

Last week, the US embassy in Nigeria closed its doors, citing the potential for unspecified protests, as the IMN attempted to stage demonstrations that were thwarted by security forces.

n

On Friday morning, traffic in Abuja came to a standstill due to the heavy security presence and numerous checkpoints that slowed down vehicles on roads leading into the city.

n

The Nigerian government has a history of clamping down on the IMN, including a protest last year that turned violent, resulting in the deaths of 11 protesters and one soldier, according to an intelligence report.

n

The circumstances surrounding the violence were disputed by authorities, protesters, and rights groups, who offered differing accounts of what sparked the clashes.