Out of control: At least 6 dead at pro-Palestinian event in Nigeria

At least six people were killed in a pro-Palestinian protest supported and funded by Iran that escalated out of control in Nigeria. The incident took place in Abuja, the country’s capital, during events marking "Iranian Jerusalem Day" on Friday.

The Associated Press (AP) reported that at least five protesters and one police officer died in clashes that erupted during the demonstration. Additional media outlets, including those aligned with Iran, reported higher figures of 12 and up to 20 fatalities, predominantly among the pro-Palestinian protesters.

The event occurred as part of "Al-Quds Day," an annual Iranian initiative observed in various parts of the world to express solidarity with the Palestinian struggle. Held each year on the last Friday of Ramadan, the demonstration in Nigeria was organized and conducted by the Islamic Movement of Africa, a Shiite group with strong ties to Iran and consistent support for regional terror organizations.

PressTV, an English-language Iranian network affiliated with the Tehran regime, released extensive footage of the confrontations between protesters and local security forces, depicting what appeared to be a protest spiraling into chaos. According to an AP report, it is not uncommon for protests in Nigeria to turn violent, resulting in injuries and deaths among both demonstrators and security personnel. AP also cited local police, who stated that the protesters were armed with weapons and combat equipment, ranging from daggers to pistols and even catapult-like devices.

The Shiite Islamic Movement in Nigeria represents a small minority within the country’s vast population, estimated at nearly 230 million people, of whom about 100 million are Muslims. Only 5% of Nigerian Muslims are Shiites, with the remainder being Sunnis.

Sidi Munir Sokoto, spokesperson for Nigeria’s Islamic Movement, claimed the protest proceeded in a "peaceful and calm" manner and that the demonstrators did not engage in violence warranting a forceful response from police and military. Nevertheless, he alleged that security forces opened fire, killing several protesters. The movement’s leader, Ibrahim Zakzaky, traveled to Lebanon a month ago to attend the funeral of former Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah.

Channel 12 contributed to this article.