Hawzah News Agency - (Kaduna - Nigeria) - Nigerian police have fired live ammunition and teargas at protesting Shia Muslims as large crowds gathered in the capital city Abuja Thursday to demand the release of ailing cleric Sheikh Ibrahim al-Zakzaky.

Witnesses saw policemen firing shots at hundreds of protesters who had gathered outside government buildings to demand the release of Zakzaky. Police also arrested at least a dozen people at the massive rally.

Protesters threw stones as police tried to disperse them. They were carrying banners showing pictures of the cleric as well as the people who lost their lives at the hands of government forces.

Similar protest rallies were held in the city of Kaduna, north of Abuja.

According to an eyewitness, four brothers were shot and wounded in Kaduna protest, although the figure may rise later.

The witness added that two of the four brothers were critically wounded, needing immediate orthopedic consultation.

On Tuesday, security forces killed two protesters, who were members of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN) headed by Zakzaky.

Fierce clashes erupted outside the National Assembly as protesters gathered there and then sought to enter the building to register a demand for the cleric’s release. At least 40 people were detained during the rally.