The group was holding a rally, and passing through some strategic areas in the Kano metropolis, when it was ferociously attacked by the youths, some of whom brandished knives, swords, machetes and cutlasses
Members of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria in Kano, popularly known as Shiites, on Wednesday came face to face with an angry mob, with many of them receiving machete wounds.
The group was holding a rally, and passing through some strategic areas in the Kano metropolis, when it was ferociously attacked by the youths, some of whom brandished knives, swords, machetes and cutlasses. The mob forced the recalcitrant Shiites faithful to scamper for safety.
The latest incident came on the heels of a ban by the Police on all forms of religious processions which the Shiites flouted with impunity. The angry youths were challenging the legitimacy of the procession at a time that the search for peace was being intensified.
According to an eyewitness account, anyone wearing black attires was immediately in danger, as black attires are the symbol of the Shiites, which has consistently preached the gospel of disobedience to the constituted authorities.
One of the machete-wielding youths, the witness said, was overheard saying he was ready to shed the blood of any Shiite who had dared to breach the peace at a time the menace of Boko Haram insurgency was taking a heavy toll on the nation.
Many of the fleeing Shiites were seen pulling off their black attires so as to escape the notice of the angry mob, which kept vigil at strategic locations and thoroughfares throughout the ancient city, forcing them to take refuge in local houses within the vicinity of the procession.
Confirming the incident, the Kano State Police Command Public Relations Officer, DSP Magaji Musa Majiya said the Police had made effort to rescue some of the Shiites, especially women, children and the aged, who had become vulnerable to danger.