Many people are said to have been killed in clashes between security
forces and the members of the Shia sect in five states.
In three of the states mobs attacked the sect members, injuring many and
destroying their houses, adding another dimension to the crisis.
The clashes came the as Shi’ites were winding up their annual Ashura
procession.
The crisis took place in Kaduna, Kano, Jos, Katsina and Sokoto resulting
in the deployment of more security personnel to restore order in those
places.
In Jigawa State the governmentsuspended all forms of processions to
forestall confrontation of any kind.
Tension began to rise in some states as the annual historical event
approached. Troops surrounded the Shiite Markas in Tudun Wada, Kaduna
Tuesday night but the standoff ended without any incident when they
withdrew late in the night.
However, the situation escalated and boiled over resulting in the fatal
clashes yesterday.
Funtua
A violent confrontation between combined security operatives and members
of Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN) popularly called Shiites yesterday in
Funtua, Katsina State led to the death of no fewer than nine persons,
Daily Trust gathered.
Commercial and social activities came to a standstill as schools and banks
closed.
Witnesses said trouble started in the morning when Shi’ite members
converged on Shuwaki area of the town in preparation for the Ashora
procession around 8am.
Thirty minutes later, about eight Hilux vans conveying security personnel
barricaded the road where the confrontation ensued, leading to the nine
deaths and injuries to many.
A day to this Ashura event, the police had issued a terse statement
banning all forms of rallies, processions, gatherings and assemblies under
any guise across the state with a warning that any person caught violating
this order would be arrested and prosecuted.
Speaking on the issue, the leader of the movement in Katsina Sheikh Yakubu
Yahaya condemned the attack, describing it as shameful and uncalled for.
He said nine members lost their lives and many others got injured.
“At present, we are getting set to bury our dead members and we demand the
release of two corpses taken to the hospitals and later whisked away by
security personnel,” he said.
He added that for over 40 years the procession had been taking place
peacefully, wondering why the sudden clamp down on the movement by
government through security agents.
“Nothing will convince us that we are not being singled out for attack on
how we understand and practice the religion, the constitution and laws of
the land have given us freedom of worship and association but why is our
freedom being trampled upon,” he asked.
On the recent statement issued by police banning rallies and procession,
Yahaya said this was inconsequential as the Supreme Court had ruled on
that. “You don’t need permission to do that. Even at that, how can you
just kill a soul for being part of a procession? This is jungle justice.”
The police authorities were yet to respond to enquiries put forward as the
Katsina State police spokesman DSP Salisu Agaisa failed to respond to
calls placed to him.
Kaduna
Two people were said to have been killed when angry youth from Tudun Wada,
Kaduna South Local Government Area of Kaduna State stormed the house of
Mukhtar Sahabi, a Shi’a leader and set it ablaze.
Daily Trust gathered that the sect leader’s house located along Zango road
in Tudun Wada, Kaduna was besieged by youth who claimed to have had enough
of the activities of the Shiites.
The members of the movement had scheduled a protest to press home their
demands for the release of their leader, Shiekh Ibrahim Zakzaky who has
been in detention since December, 2015 and the removal of the ban by the
state government.
A resident who was at the scene confirmed the incident, adding that the
youths, believed to be residents of the area, attacked some members of the
Shi’ite sect who were living in the house.
The resident said, “I was wondering what was going on this morning when I
saw youths in hundreds setting the house on fire and before the security
operatives could come, all of them had gone. We were standing at distance
to see what next would happen. Thank God that normalcy has returned to the
area.”
A member of the sect who did not want his name mentioned said the youths
picked up a number of Shi’ites and handed them over to the police. “Four
women were seized and handed over to the police in Bakin Ruwa. Two people
have been confirmed dead so far, although the place is a bit more stable
now.”
Confirming the incident, the Police spokesperson, DSP Aliyu Usman said the
police had not ascertained if any life was lost. He said, “Immediately the
report came to us, we drafted our men there to address the situation, but
by the time we got there, they had already set the house on fire.
The police have cordoned off the area and normalcy has returned to the
area. We are investigating the situation to see ascertain the reason why
the house was burnt.”
Jos
Residents of Anguwan Rogo, a neighbourhood in Jos North local government
area of Plateau State yesterday vandalized and demolished a Shiite school
popularly called Markaz, apparently in a bid to stop the sect members
from performing their annual Ashura procession.
Our correspondent reports that no one was injured but most of the Shiites
in the area had fled the community for fear that they would be identified
and attacked.
Witnesses claimed that members of a gang’ popularly called Yan daba from
Gangare, where a similar incident last year led to a breakdown of law had
moved into Anguwan rogo in solidarity with the community to perpetuate the
mob action on the Shi’ite facility.
Some of the Shiites who usually wear black during their processions were
forced to seek refuge in some homes where they were given alternative
outfits to change into to avoid identification. The Shi’ite spokesperson
in Jos, Baba Idi could not be reached on phone but rumours spread that
security agents were on the look out to arrest him.
Operation Safe Haven Media and Information Officer, Captain Ikedichi Iweha
yesterday said the attack on the Islamic sect was a community mob action
but stressed that men of the taskforce were able to restore order.
The Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Tyopev Mathias Terna said the
Shi’ites had written to the command on 10th of October asking for cover
for their procession and that the police on Tuesday advised them not to go
ahead with the procession for fear that hoodlums might take advantage of
it to disturb the peace.
Kano
Angry youths and members of the Shi’ite group clashed in Kano yesterday,
injuring 17 followers of the Sheikh Ibrahim El-Zakzaky-led Shi’ite group.
Confirming the clash to Daily Trust, the Public Relations Officer of the
Kano State Police Command, DSP Magaji Musa Majia, said the clash occurred
at different locations within the state capital metropolis, including
Kofar-Mata, Murtala Muhammad Hospital and around Kano Abattoir.
DSP Majia said that the 17 injured members of the group were rushed to the
police clinic where they were treated and discharged.
“We have rescued 138 members of the Shi’ite, mostly women and children and
they are still under our custody. There was no death casualty on both
sides and normalcy has since returned to Kano,” Majia said.
At the Fagge Juma’at Mosque where the Shi’ite group converges annually for
their Ashura procession, heavily armed policemen were stationed at major
entrances.
Mallam Sa’idu Isa Yakasai, one of the Shi’ite leaders in Kano told Daily
Trust that they were attacked by some hoodlums around Kano Abattoir
shortly after they had finished the annual procession of Ashura.
“Scores of Shi’ite members mostly adults were injured during the attack. I
saw about 10 of our members who sustained various degrees of injury in
their head. I was able to rescue many children during the attack. It was a
coordinated attack.
“This is quite unfortunate. This is not the first time our people would
organize such a procession. It is an annual event not only in Nigeria but
worldwide and it is always peaceful. Even this year’s procession was
peaceful because it was after the procession that the hoodlums attacked
our people,” he said.
Sokoto
A man thought to be a member of the Shiite group was yesterday reportedly
and his vehicle burnt down by youths believed to be hoodlums at Tudun
Wada area of Sokoto.
Commissioner of Police, Sokoto state, Mohammed Abdulkadir confirmed this
while Briefing journalists on the incident. The deceased was said to have
come from Kebbi state to participate in Ashura procession in Sokoto but
was killed before reaching Tamaje where the procession started.
Abdulkadir said the situation would have degenerated into a serious
security problem but for the quick intervention of the police.
The commissioner assured the people of the state that the command would
leave no stone unturned in maintaining peace and order in the state.
He said one man was arrested and a cutlass was recovered from him.
He also said three motorcycles were set on fire by Shiite members at
Tamaje area in Dange Shuni local government area.
Dutse
In Jigawa State the government suspended all forms of public processions
indefinitely, according to a statement by the Secretary to the State
Adamu Abdulkadir Fanini.
It added that the measure became neccessary inview of the security
situation in the North central geo-political zone of the country.
It said Governor Muhammad Badaru Abubakar approved the suspension of all
public processions of whatever nature in all parts of the State.
The statement called on all law abiding citizens in the state to go
about their normal business.
Daily Trust