Members of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN) on Friday staged a solidarity rally in Abuja to mourn the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatullah Ali Khamenei, marking the group’s first protest in the Federal Capital Territory since news of his killing.
Khamenei was reportedly killed on February 26 in an operation linked to the United States and Israel. In the days that followed, members of the movement organised demonstrations across several northern cities and Lagos.
Ahead of the Abuja rally, security concerns heightened across the capital. The United States Embassy in Nigeria temporarily shut down its operations, while security agencies deployed personnel to various locations in the FCT amid fears that Shiite members might stage protests in the city.
The demonstration coincided with the annual Quds Day observance, drawing thousands of Shiite Muslims to the National Mosque in Abuja. Participants were seen carrying banners, waving flags and chanting slogans condemning Israeli actions against Palestinians.
Speaking with our correspondent, the Chairman of the Media Forum of the Islamic Movement, Ammar Rajab, explained that the group has marked Quds Day in Nigeria for more than four decades through lectures, discussions, public awareness campaigns and processions.
According to him, the 2026 observance carried heightened significance due to what he described as worsening humanitarian conditions in Palestinian territories since October 2023, with many people displaced and others killed or injured.
Rajab said, “This year’s observance is particularly urgent as reports indicate that over 200,000 Palestinians have been killed or injured since October 2023, with hundreds of thousands displaced. Journalists have been barred from reporting the crisis, leaving the reality largely hidden.
“We also mourned the assassination of Ayatullah Ali Khamenei, highlighting his uncompromising stand against oppression and injustice, and reaffirmed the movement’s call for the freedom and liberation of Palestine.”
He dismissed claims that security operatives confronted IMN members during the rally.
“It is not true. We started peacefully and left without any intervention from the police,” he said.
Shiites in Abuja and Bauchi Show Solidarity with Iran and Palestine
Despite the peaceful conduct of the event, some Abuja residents reported heavy traffic along the Nyanya–Mararaba axis. The congestion followed the establishment of security checkpoints where vehicles were searched after news of the planned demonstration emerged.
Beyond Abuja, members of the movement also held a demonstration in Bauchi State in support of Palestine.
The leader of the movement in the state, Ahmad Yashi, told reporters that the gathering formed part of activities marking Quds Day, a global event observed on the last Friday of Ramadan.
He explained that the protest was meant to show solidarity with Palestinians, whom he said had lived under invasion for decades.
“This is a known demonstration held on the last Friday of every Ramadan worldwide under the Quds Day platform. It is to show support and sympathy for Palestinians who have been under invasion for about eight decades,” he said.
Yashi added that the demonstrations organised by the movement had historically been peaceful, arguing that previous incidents of unrest were often triggered by authorities who misunderstood the group’s activities.
The movement also reaffirmed its support for Iran amid the ongoing conflict involving the United States and Israel, warning that the killing of Khamenei could intensify the crisis.
Yashi said the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader would not resolve tensions but could further escalate the situation.
“We are with Iran in heart and soul. They targeted the Iranian Supreme Leader to make the country surrender, but they are mistaken. The Supreme Leader, as a religious authority, was among those dousing tensions,” he said.
He described Islam as a religion of peace but accused Western powers of fueling global instability.
“Islam is a peaceful religion, but the West is the problem. They are selfish and want everyone to bow to them. This will not happen; those days are gone,” he added.
Yashi further revealed that members of the movement in Bauchi had earlier organised another peaceful march in solidarity with Iran.
“We conducted a peaceful demonstration in support of Iran, and every Muslim must take a side in this war. You are either with the righteous or with the oppressors,” he stated.
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