Violent protesters invade Nigerian parliament, shoot 3 policemen

A march for the release of the detained leader of the Islamic Movement, Sheikh Ibrahim El-Zakzaky and his wife on Tuesday turned violent when hundreds of protesters invaded the Nigerian parliament in the capital, Abuja.

A man stands near a burnt vehicle outside the National Assembly, after clashes between police and a group of Shi'ite Muslim protesters in Abuja, Nigeria July 9, 2019. [Photo: VCG]

A security source told Xinhua that three policemen were wounded by the protesters who seized a rifle from a security agent and shot at them.

They overpowered security operatives stationed at the main entrance of the National Assembly Complex housing the Senate and the House of Representatives, said the security source.

The protesters had a clash with security operatives after forcing their way through the main entrance and headed to the parliament building where plenary was ongoing.

"The protesters dared the security operatives, pelted everyone around and were set to destroy everything at sight," said the source who said they had received "order from above" not to use live ammunition on the protesters.

The riotous situation disrupted business activities around the parliament building as two vehicles were burned and three others were vandalized by the protesters, said Titilope Fadare, a journalist who witnessed the incident.

Additional policemen were quickly deployed in strategic locations near the parliament, to forestall a total breakdown of law and order, several sources confirmed.

The police command in Abuja declined comments on the violent clash but said a statement would soon be made available to the media.

El-Zakzaky had been in detention for about four years in Nigeria and this had led to previous violent clashes between his followers and the police.

Last November, a Nigerian court refused El-Zakzaky and his wife bail. They were first arraigned on May 15, 2018, following their arrest in the northern city of Zaria in December 2015.

They were being charged by the Nigerian government of culpable homicide, unlawful assembly, and disturbance of public peace, among others.

On trial with the Shiite leader were four other members of the group.