Police accused of blasphemy as Shi’ites petition NHRC, UN, EU

ABUJA – Members of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria, also known as Shi’ites, have petitioned the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), the United Nations (UN), the European Union (EU), and Amnesty International (AI) over alleged blasphemy by the Nigeria Police Force. The petition, filed by Fatima Aliyu Adam on behalf of the Academic Forum of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (AFIMN), accuses the police of forcefully removing the hijabs of Muslim women detained during the recent Abuja Arba’een Symbolic Trek.

According to the petition, the incident occurred twice: while the women were in detention and during their parade before the media. A video of the incident, taken by a police officer and shared on social media, has sparked outrage.

The petition specifically targets Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Kayode Egbetokun and FCT Commissioner of Police Benneth Igweh, alleging blasphemy against Islam.

It noted that over 100 people, including 55 women and children, two babies, and two nursing mothers, are currently detained at the Intelligence Response Squad (IRT) facility in Abuja.

The Shi’ites claim the police actions violated the constitutional rights of Muslim women and the Supreme Court ruling in Lagos State Govt. v. Asiyat Abdulkareem (2022), which upheld the right to wear hijab.

They demanded a forensic investigation into the forceful removal of Muslim women’s hijabs by the FCT Police to identify the perpetrators of this taboo.

The Islamic Movement warned that the alleged blasphemy could ignite unrest and conflict, citing previous hijab-related issues that led to heated debates, violence, and school closures.

Above all, the Shi’ites urged the NHRC, UN, EU, and Amnesty International to intervene and ensure justice for the affected Muslim women.The separate petitions read, “This case of Nigerian police officers deliberately parading Muslim sisters without hijab in the FCT Police Command, as well as the subsequent broadcast of pictures and videos from the scene, is an insult to not just the victims but Islam as a whole.

“Certainly, forceful removal of hijab is an abuse not to the Muslim Sisters arrested but to entire Muslims and blasphemy against Islam. It is pertinent to state that for a public officer to blaspheme Islam in Nigeria is capable of causing discontent, unpredictable predicaments, and conflict.

“We therefore demand a forensic investigation into the forceful removal of Muslim Sisters’ hijab by the FCT Police to unravel the perpetrators of this taboo, which is capable of igniting a crisis in the country to avoid its reoccurrence.”