Nigeria: Protest rallies held for the immediate release of Shia Cleric

People in Nigeria have held protest rallies in several cities across the country to demand the immediate and unconditional release of senior Shia cleric and leader of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN), Sheikh Ibrahim al-Zakzaky.

Peaceful demonstrations were held in the cities of Lafia, Katsina, Gombe, and Kaduna with protesters carrying posters of the cleric and other Muslims killed or detained by the Nigerian army. 

They also urged the government to set Zakzaky free, denouncing the imprisonment of the Shia cleric and a large number of his followers as a violation of the Nigerian constitution.