From Noah Ebije, Kaduna
THERE was pandemonium yesterday in Tudun Wada area of Kaduna city, as members of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN), also known as Shi’ites, again clashed with some youths in the area.
Sunday Sun gathered that the entire Tudun Wada, Zango, Kinkinau, Kabala West, Unguwan Mu’azu, Hanyi Malam Bello and other communities within the axis were thrown into confusion during the clash.
It would be recalled that the group had clashed with some youths in Kaduna last Wednesday, leaving two people dead while the residence of the group’s leader was razed. Also, a school belonging to the sect was demolished during the crisis.
When Sunday Sun visited the area, it was observed that shops were hurriedly shut even as residents took cover in their homes.
According to an eyewitness, Abdullahi Muazu, the clash erupted when the Shi’ites mounted their flag and started sweeping the premises of the burnt house of their leader, Mukhtar Sahabi.
It was gathered that some youths in the area had asked the group to leave the premises but they refused.
“I just saw people running up and down when I was returning from my children’s Islamic school around 9a.m. I later learnt that trouble began when Shi’ites tried to place their flag in the premises of their leader’s house that was burnt on Wednesday and I quickly went to collect my children from school incase anything happens,” Muazu said.
When contacted, the state police spokesperson, Aliyu Usman, an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), said the Command was preparing a warning letter to the people behind the crisis, which would be made available to the media soon.
Meanwhile, normalcy had returned to the area at the time of filing this report, as the police had deployed its men to strategic locations to ensure that the crisis does not escalate.