By Achile Danjuma
Members of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN), also known as Shi’ites, staged a protest at the National Mosque in Abuja on Friday to express solidarity with Iran amid rising Middle East tensions.
The demonstration began shortly after the group joined the weekly Friday prayers. Following the conclusion of the service, the worshippers assembled within the mosque premises, with the gathering reportedly swelling to around 200 participants. Witnesses stated the protest commenced with chants of “Allahu Akbar.”
The demonstrators voiced strong condemnation of the United States and Israel while declaring their support for Iran, chanting slogans such as “shame to America,” “shame to Israel,” and “we support Iran.”
Concurrent protests were also reported in other parts of the country. IMN members held similar demonstrations at the Idimota Central Mosque in Lagos, as well as taking to the streets in Kaduna and Bauchi.
These demonstrations follow a recent escalation in the Middle East conflict involving Iran. They also come after a wave of protests last week by Shi’ite supporters in several Nigerian states. Those protests were triggered by reports of the death of Iran’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, who was reportedly killed during joint US-Israeli strikes on Iran. Last week’s demonstrations occurred in Lagos, Kano, Niger, Sokoto, Gombe, Kaduna, Bauchi, and Yobe states.
In a display of solidarity, many of the protesters waved Iranian flags, carried portraits of the late leader, and displayed placards criticizing the United States and Israel.