Some residents of Gyellesu in Zaria, Kaduna State, have called on human rights groups to look beyond the clash between soldiers of the Nigerian Army and members of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria, and instead focus on the pains the activities of the Shiite sect, led by Sheik Ibraheem El-Zakzaky, caused their community.
They also called on the Federal Government to ban the Shiite movement in their community and Kaduna state as a whole.
A spokesperson for the community, Idris Baba, told a news conference in Kaduna on Saturday that Shiites had held people in Zaria and Sabon Gari local government areas of the state hostage with impunity and running a parallel government.
“We the elders are calling on our children who left their homes in order to save their lives due to attacks and threat by the Shiite followers to return home”, Mr. Baba said.
He narrated their ordeals at the hands of Shi’ite followers for over 20 years in Zaria.
“My experience with Shi’ite followers is disastrous and terrible, at a point Shi’ite boys threatened to kill me”.
Mr. Baba also said Shi’ites had in May 2015, declared 24 youths persona non-grata for challenging their activities in Gyellesu where Zakzaky resides.
“Before, we can’t grant interview to the world about Shi’ite’s activities, but now (after Shiites clash with military), we are sleeping with our two eyes closed.
“We are happy over military action against Shi’ites movement in Zaria because we have fresh air now blowing in our areas.
“We are Muslims, but we discovered that Shi’ites’s activities are contrary to Islam”.
(NAN)