Nigerian police orders repression of a Shiite group after its ban

The Nigerian police chief on Tuesday ordered the crackdown on a pro-Iranian Shiite group following its ban by the government following a series of bloody demonstrations.

"Anyone engaged or badociated, in any way, with the potential to advance the activities of the outlawed Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN), will be treated as a terrorist, an enemy of the State and a subversive element, and translated into justice, "Mohammed Adamu told senior officers.

"The interest of this is that all forms of processions or demonstrations on the part of IMN are now illegal and therefore prohibited," Adamu said in comments posted on Facebook.

He called on members of the public to provide information "that will make it easier to identify the locations of IMN members and their mentors".

The government announced on Sunday that it was banning the Shia group after obtaining a court order declaring its activities "acts of terrorism and illegality."

The IMN network, inspired by the Islamic revolution in Iran, has staged almost daily protests in Abuja, the capital, in recent months to demand the release of its leader, Ibrahim Zakzaky.

At least six protesters, a journalist and a top police official, were killed last Monday as security forces clashed with protesters.

Human Rights Watch warned on Tuesday that the "ban" could lead to an even harsher crackdown by the security forces on the group "and urged the authorities to reverse it.

Zakzaky is in custody since his arrest in December 2015 as a result of acts of violence that would have allowed the army to kill about 350 of his followers.

Last October, IMO and human rights groups said more than 40 people were killed when security forces opened fire on protesters.

The IMN has sought to increase pressure on the authorities to face fears for the health of its leader.

Zakzaky and his wife, Zeenah Ibrahim, were detained while the Federal High Court ordered their release in 2016.

The government has refused and filed new criminal charges, including a culpable homicide punishable by death.

IMN, which became a student movement in the late 1970s, has close links with Shiite Iran.

The group has faced hostility in Nigeria, particularly in the largely Sunni-dominated north of the country, where religious elites are allied to Saudi Arabia.