A policeman was killed yesterday in Kaduna, the capital of Kaduna State, following a clash with members of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN) otherwise known as Shiites. Members of the Islamic group had trooped out in large number during the trial of their leader, Shiekh Ibraheem El-Zakzaky, at the Kaduna State High Court. However, armed security personnel prevented the Shiite members, including journalists, from accessing the High Court Complex along Bida road, Kaduna. The police were said to have been deployed to disperse hundreds of the IMN members, but the situation became violent around Ibrahim Taiwo Road as the Shiite members started throwing stones and other objects at the policemen who were firing teargas at them. The deceased policeman, according to the spokesman of the Kaduna State police command, Aliyu Mukhtar, was hit with several stones by the Shiite members. “It was a large crowd, the Shiite members as usual were hiding in the midst of people and when our men were trying to
disperse them, they started throwing stones at them. “The policeman was hit with stones several times and he fell down. He was taken to the Barau Dikko Specialist Hospital where he died,” Mukhtar said. He disclosed that 11 of the Shiite members were arrested while the situation had been brought under control. There was tight security around the court complex as heavily armed security personnel blocked all the major roads around the area. Journalists who trooped to the court premises to cover the case were turned back by the gun trotting security personnel stationed at strategic places. Even lawyers were thoroughly searched before they were allowed into the premises of the court complex. The busy Independence Way, was blocked from the Police College roundabout up to Warf Road junction and motorists had to divert to alternative routes. Motorists coming from Tafawa Balewa way through the College of Business and Management Studies of Kaduna Polytechnic were also prevented from accessing Independence way. Also from Bida road, where the court complex is located, through Yakubu Gowon was also blocked making it difficult for people to access theiroffices.

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