Tension gripped Sokoto metropolis on Friday 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.
Lukwa was allegedly attacked twice in the neck by a young man who was among worshippers at the mosque.
Sources said the suspect, identified as Mai Barewa, was seated among worshippers, reportedly in one of the front rows, before attacking the cleric immediately after the prayer.
The sources said worshippers quickly overpowered the suspect and beat him to death.
The incident was reportedly linked to a previous sermon delivered by Lukwa in 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, Mai Barewa allegedly threatened to kill Lukwa and his senior student, Malam Murtala Assada.
The cleric and his followers subsequently 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 for some time, while the case remained pending.
Four days before Friday’s attack, the clerics had also visited the Sokoto State Government House, where they submitted a written complaint over the matter.
Confirming the attack, spokesman for the Sokoto State Police Command, DSP Ahmad Rufa’i, said Lukwa was receiving treatment at the Specialist Hospital, Sokoto.
Rufa’i said the suspected attacker was killed by the cleric’s followers after the assault.
He added that no arrest had been made in connection with the ensuing violence, while the police had deployed measures to prevent the situation from escalating.
The police spokesman said the command was investigating the incident to establish the circumstances surrounding the attack and identify anyone who might have been involved.
