Security men swoop on Shi’ite leader’s house, demolish worship centre

Ibraheem El-Zakzaky

Jude Owuamanam, Jos

A combined team of soldiers and anti-riot policemen on Wednesday swooped on the house of the Shi’ite leader in Jos, Adamu Tsoho, and demolished the sect’s Husaniyya (worship centre).

Members of the sect were said to be gathering at their worship centre, located at Angwan Rogo, in Jos North Local Government Area of Plateau State, when the security men allegedly swooped on them.

The incident came a few days after the Kaduna State government banned the activities of the sect.

Though no member of the sect was arrested, a security source told our correspondent that they were informed that members of the sect were gathering to protest the ban by the Kaduna State government and the continued detention of their leader, Sheikh Ibrahim El-Zakzaky and other members.

A member of the group, Saifullahi Mohammed, who spoke to our correspondent, said the incident happened at about 10 am.

He said the members were not planning any protest as alleged, but they were just gathering to celebrate ‘Ashura’, which is a day in the Islamic calendar to commemorate the day a grandson of Prophet Muhammed was killed.

Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Terna Tyopev; and the Media Officer of the special task force, aka ‘Operation Safe Haven, Capt. Ikedichi Iweha, could not be reached for comments.