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Thousands of members of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN) staged protests in several northern cities on Sunday, condemning the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in a US-Israeli attack.
Protesters marched through the streets of Muslim-majority northern cities, carrying Iranian flags and portraits of Khamenei, his predecessor Ruhollah Khomeini, and the group’s leader in Nigeria, Ibrahim Zakzaky.
In Kano, the country’s largest northern city with a major IMN presence, demonstrators walked approximately five kilometres (three miles) from a mosque in the Fagge district to the group’s headquarters in Goron Dutse.
The participants condemned the United States and Israel for “unprovoked” attacks that killed Khamenei, his close associates, and family members, chanting “death to America and Israel” and carrying Palestinian flags.
“The attacks show the insincerity and unreliability of the United States and Israel, which launched the attacks in the middle of negotiations,” protest leader Umar Yakubu said.
Crowds also chanted “Allahu Akbar” (“God is Great”) and called for an end to Western interference in the Middle East.
The IMN advocates for an Iranian-style Islamic revolution in Nigeria and has clashed with the Nigerian government in the past.
Yakubu urged supporters to remain peaceful and to follow the guidance of Zakzaky, who resides in Abuja.
The group’s history includes a December 2015 military raid on Zakzaky’s residence in Zaria after his followers blocked a military convoy during a religious ceremony.
Official figures reported that around 350 members were killed in that incident.
