Tension has heightened in parts of Sokoto metropolis after an Islamic cleric, Malam Musa Lukwa, was stabbed shortly after leading 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 who was among the worshippers at the mosque.
According to reports, the suspect allegedly stabbed Lukwa twice in the neck before other worshippers overpowered him and killed him.
The Sokoto State Police Command confirmed the attack, saying the cleric was taken to the Specialist Hospital, Sokoto, where he was receiving treatment and responding to it.
The command’s spokesperson, DSP Ahmad Rufa’i, said no arrest had been made in connection with the violence that followed the attack because the suspected assailant was killed by the cleric’s followers.
Rufa’i said, “The cleric was stabbed and has been taken to the Specialist Hospital, Sokoto, where he is receiving treatment and responding to treatment.
“The suspect was killed by the cleric’s followers, and no arrest has been made in connection with the ensuing violence.”
He said the police had deployed measures to prevent the situation from escalating, adding that an investigation was underway to establish the circumstances surrounding the attack and identify those involved.
The incident reportedly stemmed from a sermon previously delivered by Lukwa, which some Islamic scholars and their followers considered offensive to the parents of Prophet Muhammad.
The sermon had allegedly created tension before Friday’s incident, with a man identified as Mai Barewa reportedly threatening the cleric and one of his senior students.
Barewa was later arrested and arraigned before a court, with the case said to be ongoing.
Amid the reported threats, Lukwa and his followers were said to have written to the Sokoto State Government four days before Friday’s attack, drawing attention to the threats against them.
Meanwhile, the stabbing has reportedly sparked protests in some parts of Sokoto metropolis following reports that the cleric survived the attack.
Areas including Sahara, Bello Way and Aliyu Jodi were said to have witnessed heightened tension as some youths took to the streets.
The development reportedly forced several shop owners to close their businesses, while some residents left commercial areas over fears of possible attacks.
Security operatives subsequently moved into strategic locations in the affected areas to maintain law and order and prevent further escalation.
The police urged residents to remain calm and avoid taking the law into their own hands as investigations into the incident continue.
