By Achadu Gabriel, Kaduna
Security operatives were deployed to strategic locations in Kaduna on Thursday following intelligence about an alleged planned protest by members of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN), also known as the Shiite movement.
According to security sources, the deployment covered areas around the Kaduna Central Market and Ahmadu Bello Way near Leventis Motor Park. The sources alleged that the planned demonstration was linked to recent developments involving prominent northern figures, but no official confirmation of the protest’s purpose was available. Our correspondent observed a visible security presence at the identified locations on Thursday morning. However, no protesters were seen, and there were no reported incidents of violence or arrests as of the time of filing this report.
Security sources also claimed that similar preventive measures were taken in Abuja over reports of a planned demonstration. Some residents told our correspondent they stayed away from the Central Market after hearing reports of a possible protest, citing concerns about potential disruption.
The Nigeria Police Force and other security agencies had not issued an official statement on the reported development at the time of publication. Efforts to obtain a response from the Kaduna State Police Public Relations Officer, Mansir Hassan, were unsuccessful, as calls and text messages sent to his phone were not answered.
