IMN Protest in Lagos Over Khamenei Killing

Members of the South West leadership of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN) on Monday marched through the Maryland axis in a calm and orderly protest against the assassination of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

The early morning demonstration, which followed similar actions in Kano State on Sunday, saw dozens of IMN members carrying placards and banners that read “Stop US-Israel Invasion of Iran” and “Khamenei’s Blood Will Not Be in Vain.”

NaijaChoice News correspondent who monitored the protest reports that the demonstrators chanted slogans expressing solidarity with the people of Iran while strongly condemning the joint United States and Israeli military strikes that claimed the life of the 86-year-old Iranian leader on Saturday, February 28, 2026.

Iranian state media had confirmed Khamenei’s death during a large-scale US-Israeli operation targeting multiple sites across Iran, triggering 40 days of national mourning in the Islamic Republic and widespread outrage among Shi’ite communities worldwide.

The Lagos protest remained peaceful with heavy deployment of security operatives who ensured there was no breakdown of law and order or spread to other parts of the state.

South West Coordinator of the IMN, Muftau Zakariya, who addressed journalists at the scene, described the action as a direct response to what he called “sustained invasions of sovereign nations by the United States administration.”

He cited Venezuela as a recent example of foreign interference and claimed that terrorism in Nigeria had worsened since increased US involvement in the country’s affairs.

Zakariya specifically linked heightened attacks in Kwara State to alleged US meddling.

“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,” he told reporters, echoing earlier statements carried by Leadership Newspaper.

Another IMN leader, Muhammadu Bashir, said the protest was meant to register their deep concerns over the targeted killing of Iranian leaders.

He assured that the demonstrations would remain peaceful and would be sustained across the South West region in the coming days.

The leaders also urged the Nigerian government to immediately reject the presence of US troops on Nigerian soil, warning that such foreign military presence could further destabilise the country.

The development comes amid global reactions to Khamenei’s death, with many Shi’ite groups and governments in the Muslim world describing the strike as an act of aggression against a sovereign nation.

NaijaChoice News notes that the IMN, a Shi’ite movement with strong ideological links to Iran, has consistently voiced opposition to what it perceives as Western interference in Muslim affairs.

The protest in Lagos ended without any reported violence or major traffic disruption, as participants later dispersed peacefully.