Members of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria under the South West leadership staged a peaceful protest in Lagos State on Monday to denounce the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, following military strikes by the United States and Israel.
The demonstration, which took place in the early hours of Monday around the Maryland axis, saw protesters marching with placards and banners condemning what they described as the invasion of Iran and the targeted assassination of its long-serving leader.
The protesters chanted slogans expressing solidarity with the Middle Eastern nation and strong opposition to the actions of the US and Israeli governments. The Lagos rally followed a similar demonstration held in Kano State on Sunday.
During the gathering, which remained calm and orderly with no reports of violence or major disruptions, IMN leaders urged the Nigerian government to reject any presence of US troops in the country.
The South West coordinator of the IMN, Muftau Zakariya, explained that the protest was organized to express their deep concerns over the sustained invasions of sovereign nations by the United States.
He alleged that terrorism in Nigeria has worsened since the involvement of the US government, citing recent attacks in Kwara State as an example of the negative fallout from foreign interference.
“I said to you that nothing good is coming from the US intervention. It is only interested in their economic gains and not minding the consequences thereafter,” Zakariya told reporters during the march.
Another leader of the movement, Muhammadu Bashir, reiterated that the protest was a necessary platform to register their grievances over the killing of the Iranian leader. He assured the public that the demonstrations would remain peaceful and would be sustained across the region.
The protests in Nigeria reflect widespread global outrage among Shiite communities after Iranian state media confirmed Khamenei’s death on Saturday during a large-scale US-Israeli military operation against targets in Iran.
The strikes, which began late last week, have sparked ongoing military exchanges and significantly heightened regional instability.
In response to the assassination of Khamenei, who ruled the nation for nearly four decades, the Islamic Republic of Iran has declared 40 days of national mourning.
