Members of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria, widely known as Shi’ites, held a peaceful protest on Tuesday in the Potiskum and Nguru Local Government Areas of Yobe State, condemning the killing of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, whom they regard as a highly respected Iranian Supreme Leader.
The demonstrators marched through various parts of the towns, carrying Iranian flags and large portraits of Khamenei.
Chants and slogans expressed solidarity with Iran and criticized what they described as foreign interference that led to the death of their spiritual leader.
In Potiskum, leaders of the Shi’ite community stated that the protest aimed to denounce what they called the unjust killing of a prominent Islamic figure.
Abdullahi Hassan, the group’s leader in Potiskum, told journalists that the demonstration was a clear rejection of the circumstances surrounding Khamenei’s death.
“We are here to protest the killing of Ayatollah Ali Khameini. This is an attack on the dignity of Muslims globally, and no right-thinking person should accept it,” he said.
Hassan further stated that the movement will persist in speaking out against actions it sees as threats to national sovereignty and the well-being of the Islamic world.
In Nguru, other members of the movement expressed similar concerns, describing the killing of Khameini as “a blatant violation of international norms” that should be condemned by the global community.
“We mourn the loss of our leader and call on all peace-loving nations to condemn this act,” one of the protest organisers said.
The peaceful protest in Yobe comes amid a wave of demonstrations by Shi’ite groups in parts of Nigeria over recent developments involving Iran’s leadership and international military actions.