Tension has risen 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 on Friday.
The cleric was allegedly attacked by a young man among the worshippers, who reportedly stabbed him twice in the neck before other worshippers overpowered the suspect and killed him.
The attack was reportedly linked to a sermon previously 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 reportedly accused of threatening Lukwa and one of his senior students.
Mai Barewa was subsequently arrested and taken to court, while the case remains ongoing.
The cleric and his followers were also said to have written to the Sokoto State Government four days before Friday’s incident, raising concerns over alleged threats against them.
Confirming the attack, the spokesman for the Sokoto State Police Command, DSP Ahmad Rufai, said Lukwa was receiving treatment at the Specialist Hospital in Sokoto.
“The cleric was stabbed and has been taken to the Specialist Hospital, Sokoto, where he is receiving treatment and responding to treatment,” Rufai said.
He added that the suspected attacker was killed by the cleric’s followers and that no arrest had been made in connection with the ensuing violence.
According to the police spokesman, security measures had been deployed to prevent the situation from escalating, while an investigation was underway to determine the circumstances surrounding the attack and identify those involved.
The incident reportedly triggered protests by some youths in parts of the city after news spread that the cleric had survived.
The protests heightened tension around Sahara, Bello Way and Aliyu Jodi, prompting some business owners to shut their shops over fears of further violence.
Some residents were also seen leaving commercial areas as security personnel moved into strategic locations to maintain peace and order.
The police have appealed to residents to remain calm and refrain from taking the law into their own hands as investigations continue.
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