Nigerian Shiites protest; ...demand El-Zakzaky’s release

Members of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria, the body of Shiites in the country, have blocked the Zaria-Kaduna expressway, to protest against the prolonged detention of their leader, Ibrahim El Zakzaky.

Mr. Zakzaky has been in detention since December 2015. He was arrested by the Nigerian army after troops clashed with Shi’a members, killing over 300 of them.

The victims were secretly buried in a mass grave in Kaduna, a state official had said.

The army denies the attack despite overwhelming evidence of the atrocity.

It however admits using force, saying the Shiites had blocked the road in an attempt to assassinate its chief, Tukur Buratai, a Lieutenant General.

Thousands of Shiites blocked the expressway on Friday, denying road users passage.