Nigerian Shiites fear army will attack on holy day

The London-based Islamic Human Rights Commission (IHRC) on Tuesday asked Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari to ensure the safety of minority Shiite Muslims after receiving reports of an impending attack during a religious procession slated for later this month.

In a letter addressed to the president, the commission said it received “credible reports” the military has planned to sabotage the religious processions of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria on Nov. 20. The reports said security officials plan to hire thugs to disrupt the processions and burn the homes and businesses of participants. The commission said the military also has a hit list of prominent members of the movement and has told hospitals not to treat victims during the planned attacks.

“IHRC calls on you to do your utmost to rein in the military and anyone else involved in these nefarious plans, uphold the rights of the participants, and ensure their total protection,” the commission said in its letter to the president.

The Nigerian military has yet to respond to the report.

Tension escalated between the Shiite group and the Nigerian government last December when the army killed more than 300 Shiites in an attack on the group’s headquarters in Kaduna state. The government said the group triggered the attack by attempting to kill the country’s army chief. The movement’s leader, Ibraheem Zakzaky, has remained in police custody since December. In October, the Islamic Movement of Nigeria said security forces killed at least 20 of its members in another religious procession. Kaduna state’s governor last month declared the Islamic Movement of Nigeria an unlawful group and banned its activities within the state.

The Islamic Movement of Nigeria first announced the suspected plot by security agents on Oct. 28. In a statement, the group said the procession “remains a peaceful religious duty to be conducted by the faithful, as has been done in the last five years since it was started.”

In March, IHRC asked the International Criminal Court to open a preliminary investigation into the December 2015 massacre.

“These reports of potential sabotage must also be seen in the context of the wider campaign of persecution of the IMN,” the rights commission stated.