Nigeria’s military shot at Shi’ite Muslim protesters marching in the capital Abuja on Monday to demand the release of their religious leader, according to a Reuters witness.

Hundreds of members of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN) took part in the march for the release of Ibrahim Zakzaky, jailed since December 2015 when security forces killed hundreds of members in a crackdown on the group, estimated to have 3 million followers.

Some victims were lying on the ground on a road in the area of Kugbo on Abuja’s outskirts, the witness said, adding that some had thrown stones at the military before the shooting began. The condition of those on the ground was not immediately clear.

(Reuters)