There was tension in Sokoto metropolis on Friday, September 11, after an Islamic cleric, Malam Musa Lukwa, was reportedly stabbed shortly after leading the Juma’at prayer at his mosque in the Mabera area of the city.
The cleric was allegedly stabbed twice in the neck by a young man who was among the worshippers at the mosque.
Eyewitnesses said the suspect was seated among the worshippers, reportedly in one of the front rows, before allegedly attacking Lukwa immediately after the prayer.
The worshippers reportedly overpowered the suspect and beat him to death.
The incident was said to be connected to a previous sermon delivered by the cleric, during which he cited a Hadith that some Islamic scholars, particularly those associated with the Tariqa order, considered offensive to the parents of Prophet Muhammad.
Following the controversy, the suspect, identified as Mai Barewa, allegedly threatened to kill the cleric and his senior student, Malam Murtala Assada.
The cleric and his followers reportedly reported the threat to the police, leading to the suspect’s arrest and arraignment. The court later ordered that he be remanded in a correctional facility while the case remained pending.
Confirming Friday’s attack, the spokesperson for the Sokoto State Police Command, DSP Ahmad Rufa’i, said Lukwa was receiving treatment at the Specialist Hospital in Sokoto.
Rufa’i also confirmed that the suspected attacker had been killed by the cleric’s followers.
He said no arrests had been made in connection with the ensuing violence, adding that the police had deployed measures to prevent the situation from escalating.
According to the police spokesperson, an investigation is underway to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident and identify anyone who may have been involved.
