Members of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN), popularly known as Shi’ites, led by Ibrahim El-Zakzaky, yesterday protested in Gombe, Niger, Kano, Bauchi, Yobe and Sokoto states over the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in a joint US-Israeli airstrike.
This is even as the Nigeria Police Force has ordered all the Commissioners of Police in the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory to heighten surveillance across the country.
The Force directed them to pay a particular attention to the North Central, the North East and the North West of Nigeria amidst tensions in the Middle East.
Shiites and Iran are connected by shared faith, religious leadership, history and a common sense of global identity, with Iran acting as the symbolic and practical hub of Shi’a Islam.
Security agencies in Nigeria have always responded to the IMN’s mobilisation of its members in the North for solidarity with Iran on any event.
Protests by the Shi’ites were also reported in Kano, Bauchi and Yobe States. Members of the IMN held a peaceful demonstration in Gombe on Sunday over Khamenei’s killing. They gathered after observing prayers, marched from their religious centre in the Tudun Wadan Pantami area of Gombe metropolis.
They displayed placards with inscriptions denouncing the incident and called for justice.
Speaking on behalf of the protesters, Sheikh Muhammad Abbari Gombe, described the US-Israeli airstrikes against Iran as unfortunate and unacceptable.
A source told Global Upfront Newspapers (GUN) that “on Sunday, March 01, 2026, members of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN)—popularly known as Shiites and led by Ibrahim El Zakzaky—staged public demonstrations across parts of Niger State and other northern Nigerian cities. These protests erupted in response to widespread reports that Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, had been killed in a joint United States–Israel military offensive on 28 February 2026.
“The protesters, many carrying Iranian flags, portraits of Khamenei, and anti US/anti Israel placards, marched through public streets while chanting solidarity slogans and denouncing foreign aggression against Iran. There were no immediate reports of violence, arrests, or clashes with security forces.”
Though the Shiite protests were peaceful, the source added that it “illustrates the deep geopolitical entanglement between Nigerian Shiite communities and Iranian affairs. Triggered by the reported U.S.–Israel assassination of Ayatollah Khamenei, the demonstrations were highly symbolic—affirming IMN solidarity with Iran and condemning Western intervention.
“It must be noted that the protests highlight Nigeria’s susceptibility to foreign conflict spillover, the mobilization capacity of IMN and the volatile intersection of religious identity, foreign policy grievances, and domestic security history.
“The event underscores a tense but controlled security environment, with the potential for rapid escalation if provoked—particularly given the IMN’s historical confrontations with Nigerian authorities and the charged anti-Western rhetoric amplified during the marches.”