Residents of Zaria, Kaduna State, on Saturday called on the Federal Government to urgently ban the Sheikh Ibraheem El-Zakzaky-led Shiite movement in their communities over the untold hardship the sect allegedly unleashed on them for the past over 20 years.

Addressing a news conference in Kaduna, the spokesperson of the affected Zaria communities, Idris Mohammed Baba, said the Shiites had held people in Zaria and Sabon Gari local government areas of the state hostage with impunity and running a parrarel government in the country.

The communities said that the Shi’ites had in May 2015 declared 24 youths persona non grata for challenging their activities in Gyellesu community where Zakzaky, who is presently in custody awaiting trial, resides.

Narrating their ordeal in the hands of the Shi’ites for over 20 years, Baba said: “My experience with Shi’ite followers is disastrous and terrible. At a point Shi’ite boys threatened to kill me. There is one notorious Shi’ite boy called Ali; he is the leader of El-Zakzaky’s notorious boys who accompany him anywhere he goes. We are happy over military action against the Shi’ite movement in Zaria because we have fresh air now blowing in our areas. Before, we can’t grant interview to the world about Shiite’s activities, but now we are sleeping with our two eyes closed.

“As a community, we wrote letters to the governments about ungodly activities of Shiites but no single action was taken. We no longer report Shiites to police because they will never honour police or security invitation. These Shiites are authority unto themselves, they don’t respect authority, security and so on. We are Muslims but we discovered that Shiites activities are contrary to Islam. They carried dangerous weapons openly molesting innocent people in our areas. Human rights should also look into our pains by Shi’at sect.”

Alhaji Saidu Garba, one of the Gyallesu’s elders who spoke, said the once booming economic activities have been crippled due to the activities of Shi’ites in the area.

According to Garba, “After El-Zakzaky was released from detention in 1999, he came and settled in Gyallesu. Since then there is no peace in our area. We thank Allah for touching the heart of government and the military for liberating us from Shi’ites’ untold hardship. Shi’ites killed many of our people who challenged their activities; we buried them and we cannot talk to the world because of their threat. We were living like slaves in our own land which Shi’ite leader, Sheikh El-Zakzaky, came and met us. We residents of Gyallesu are calling on the Federal government to ban Shiite movement in our community and Kaduna state as a whole. Government should put a stop to Shi’ites’ ungodly activities in our area.”

The Zaria community also made available documents dated 18th May, 2015 in which the Shi’ites declared some youths persona non grata.

The document signed by Secretary of Gyallesu Elders Forum, Mukhtar Gambo, read: “We the elders are calling for our children who left their homes in order to save their lives due to attacks and threat by the Shiite followers to return home.”

Journalists obtained another letter dated 20th May, 2013, which was signed by Chairman Voice of Gyallellesu Community, Bilyaminu Muhammad, to Emir of Zazzau, crying out for intervention over Shi’ite activities which they said would paint the area black in the eyes of the world if not checked.

The letter reads in part: “Your Highness, Sir, Gyallesu is cosmopolitan area in your land due to schools its comprises like A.B.U and F.C.E, it’s just a mini Nigeria, small problem most of the students will start phoning home that there is problem in your land and consequently will affect the whole nation, due to the abysmal role and anarchy the Shi’at has been playing in Gyallesu ward and they do not allow any uniform personnel to enter into the area.

“People of Gyallesu are highly religious and morally discipline to every person in your land and the nation at large, but unfortunately the Shi’at are trying to paint us black. It’s amazing today, your Highness part of your land is not govern by the government or you but by the Shi’at sect.”

Another document obtained contained an apology letter dated 17th May, 2013, signed by Chairman Gyallesu Youth Development Association (GYDA), Ibrahim Aliyu, to former Kaduna State governor, Ramalan Yero, over the blockage of his convoy by Shi’at followers in Zaria read: “Your Excellency Sir, Gyallesu community has been in this anarchy or control by the Shi’at for a very along period of time which unfortunately has happen to you. May Almighty Allah avoid further occurrence of this public embarrassment to the number one citizen of the state.”

•Photo shows detained Shi’te leader, Zakzaky.