The Nigeria police has announced that non-IMN Muslims are not banned from conducting Ashura procession in Abuja and other states.
DAILY POST reported on Monday that members of the IMN had forewarned that journalists, members of the public and security personnel may lose their lives today during their procession.
However, the Inspector-General of Police, IGP, Mohammed Adamu issued a strong warning to the group against embarking on the procession.
The Islamic group went on to hold its annual Ashura procession in Abuja and Kaduna.
That of Abuja lasted for 30 minutes in Wuse Market and ended about 8am with no violence reported.
However, the force in a statement on its official Twitter page warned that only non-IMN Muslims are allowed to have procession in Abuja or anywhere else in the country.
He added that the ban on procession is only applicable to IMN members who have been tagged as terrorists.
The statement read: “The IGP has directed all CPs and their respective supervisory AIG of Police in Commands and Zones to give full effect to the above clarifications and ensure that non-IMN Muslims are not in any way restricted from exercising their freedom of religion, worship and peaceful assembly.
“Ban on procession, applicable to IMN members only. Non-IMN Muslims marking Ashura free to observe peaceful procession.
“Following the deluge of enquiries concerning the ban on procession on the proscribed Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN), it has become absolutely imperative to clarify that the ban on processions is applicable to members of the proscribed Islamic Movement in Nigeria only.
“Against this backdrop, Muslims marking the commemoration of “Ashura” throughout the country along with other Muslims across the world are free to carry out the annual “Ashura” procession.
“They should, however, do so within the confines of the law and guard against infiltration by unscrupulous elements who may want to take advantage of the event to cause disruption of public peace, order and security.”
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