Subscribe: Gist E-Paper
Tension has gripped parts of Sokoto metropolis following the stabbing of an Islamic cleric, Malam Musa Lukwa, shortly after he led the Juma’at prayer at his mosque in the Mabera area of the city on Friday.
The cleric was reportedly attacked by a young man believed to be among the worshippers, who allegedly stabbed him twice in the neck before other worshippers overpowered the suspect.
The suspect was subsequently killed by the cleric’s followers, according to the police.
The attack was reportedly connected to a previous sermon delivered by Lukwa, which some Islamic scholars and their followers considered offensive to the parents of Prophet Muhammad.
The sermon had earlier generated tension in the area, with a man identified as Mai Barewa allegedly threatening the cleric and one of his senior students.
Barewa was later arrested and arraigned before a court, with the case reportedly still ongoing.
The cleric and his followers were also said to have petitioned the Sokoto State Government four days before Friday’s incident, raising concerns over alleged threats to their lives.
Confirming the attack, the spokesman for the Sokoto State Police Command, DSP Ahmad Rufa’i, said Lukwa was receiving treatment at the Specialist Hospital, Sokoto.
“The cleric was stabbed and has been taken to the Specialist Hospital, Sokoto, where he is receiving treatment and responding to treatment,” Rufa’i said.
He added that the suspected attacker was killed by the cleric’s followers, while no arrest had been made in connection with the ensuing violence.
Rufa’i said the police had deployed measures to prevent further escalation, adding that an investigation was underway to establish the circumstances surrounding the attack and identify those involved.
The incident reportedly triggered protests by some youths in parts of the metropolis after news of the attack spread.
Some commercial activities were also disrupted as residents reportedly left certain areas while security operatives moved into strategic locations to maintain law and order.
The police appealed to residents to remain calm and refrain from taking the law into their own hands, assuring that investigations would continue to determine the full circumstances of the incident.
