A yet to be identified man has been lynched to death for stabbing Sokoto based Islamic cleric, Sheikh Musa Lukuwa shortly after leading the Juma’at prayer at his mosque in the Mabera area of the city.
The attacker, who was said to have prayed behind the cleric, allegedly stabbed him twice in the neck before he was lynched by followers of the cleric.
The incident was reportedly linked to a previous sermon delivered by the cleric, which some Islamic scholars and their followers considered offensive to the parents of Prophet Muhammad.
The sermon had previously generated tension, with a man identified as Mai Barewa allegedly threatening the cleric and one of his senior students.
Mai Barewa was subsequently arrested and arraigned before a court, with the case still ongoing.
The cleric and his followers were also said to have submitted a written complaint to the Sokoto State Government four days before Friday’s attack, raising concerns over the threats against them.
Confirming the incident, the spokesman for the Sokoto State Police Command, DSP Ahmad Rufa’i, said the cleric was receiving treatment at the Specialist Hospital, Sokoto.
According to him, the suspected attacker was killed by the cleric’s followers after the incident.
Rufa’i said, “The cleric was stabbed and has been taken to the Specialist Hospital, Sokoto, where he is 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.
He added that the police had taken measures to prevent the incident from escalating, while an investigation was ongoing to establish the circumstances surrounding the attack and identify those involved.
The police urged residents to remain calm and avoid taking the law into their own hands as investigation into the incident continues.
