US Saddened Over Killing Of Shiites Muslims By Police

The United States on Friday said it was concerned by the deaths of Nigerians in clashes between Shi’ite Muslims and police earlier this week and what it called the apparently disproportionate response of the police in the violence.

Police said nine people were killed in the clashes during which officers opened fire on members of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN) taking part in a procession in the northern city of Kano on Monday, but the minority sect said dozens died.

Security analysts have drawn some parallels between the IMN and Boko Haram, the Sunni Muslim jihadist group whose insurgency began in 2009.

The violence was the latest in a series of incidents involving the sect. A judicial inquiry in August reported that 347 IMN members were killed and buried in mass graves after clashes with the army in December 2015, and two sect members were killed in processions in Kaduna state in October.

“The United States is deeply concerned by the deaths of dozens of Nigerians during clashes between individuals participating in a Shia procession and the Nigerian Police Force in Kano State,” a statement by the U.S. diplomatic mission in Nigeria said.

“While the matter is still under investigation, we are troubled by the apparent disproportionate response by the police,” said the statement, issued by spokesman John Kirby, which also called for “calm and restraint on all sides”.