The standoff between the Shi’a Islamic sect and the Kaduna State government took a turn for the worse Wednesday when an irate mob in the Tudun Wada part of town stormed the house of popular Shi’a leader, Mukhtar Sahabi, and set it ablaze.
Members of the sect who reside with the cleric, popularly referred to as ‘the governor’, were also attacked by the youths who reportedly gathered from Tudun Wada and environs. According to PT four members of the sect have been confirmed dead.
This attack is coming a day after a confrontation between soldiers and members of the group, outlawed last week by Kaduna State Governor, Nasir el-Rufai.
“I was wondering what was going on this morning when I saw youth in hundreds setting the house on fire,” an eyewitness said.
“Before the security operatives could come all of them had gone.”
“We are standing at distance to see what next is going to happen. But there is peace around the area.”
The military on Tuesday interrupted a gathering of worshippers who were commemorating historical events associated with the Islamic month of Muharram that are particularly significant in the Shi’a calendar.
Though the soldiers withdrew later that night, tensions had been high in the state, particularly with Shi’a leader Sheikh Ibrahim Zakzaky still in detention in the aftermath of the massacre of hundreds of the sect’s members by the military last December.
Another eyewitness and a resident of Zango community said the activities of the Shiite group gathering at Mr. Sahabi’s residence had been a cause of worry for some time.
“For me I will never support violence but Sahabi’s house here is risky for us. Every evening they gather at his house singing hate songs against the governor and Buhari and even none Shiite people,” he said.
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