The Members of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN) staged a peaceful protest in the Maryland area of Lagos in the early hours of Monday, March 2, to condemn the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in a joint United States–Israeli military operation.
Eyewitnesses said that protesters gathered at around dawn, chanting slogans and calling for global condemnation of what they described as foreign interference in sovereign nations. Reports suggest the protest remained largely confined to the Maryland axis, and it could not be confirmed whether similar demonstrations took place elsewhere in the city.
Protest leaders called on the Nigerian government to reject any presence of US troops on Nigerian soil and warned against what they termed heightened foreign intervention.
Speaking to journalists, Southwest coordinator of the IMN, Muftau Zakariya, said the demonstration was meant to register “deep concerns” over what he described as a pattern of military incursions by the United States administration. He cited recent international events, including Venezuela, as examples of unwelcome foreign influence.
Mr Zakariya also claimed that Nigeria has experienced increased insecurity following US involvement in the region, particularly pointing to attacks in Kwara State.
“Nothing good is coming from the US intervention,” he said. “It is only interested in its economic gains and not minding the consequences thereafter.”
Another IMN leader, Muhammadu Bashir, reiterated that the protest would remain peaceful and hinted it might continue across parts of the southwest.
The demonstration briefly disrupted movement for motorists and commuters in the area, observers noted, in part because there was no visible police presence to manage traffic or crowd control.
Iran’s state media confirmed that Ayatollah Khamenei was killed in the strikes, an unprecedented development that has triggered widespread international reaction and mourning inside Iran.
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