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. The cleric was attacked twice in the neck by a young man who was among the worshippers, reportedly seated in one of the front rows.
Sources said the attack was linked to a previous sermon in which the cleric 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, the suspect, identified as Mai Barewa, allegedly threatened to kill Malam Lukwa and his senior student, Malam Murtala Assada.
The cleric and his followers reported the threat to the police, leading to the suspect’s arrest and arraignment.
A court later ordered him remanded in a correctional facility while the case remained pending. Four days before Friday’s incident, the clerics had visited the Sokoto State Government House to submit a written complaint.
Worshippers at the mosque overpowered the attacker and beat him to death. The spokesman for the Sokoto State Police Command, DSP Ahmad Rufa’i, confirmed that Malam Lukwa was receiving treatment at the Specialist Hospital, Sokoto, and that the suspected attacker had been killed by the cleric’s followers.
Rufa’i said no arrest had been made in connection with the ensuing violence, adding that police had deployed measures to prevent the situation from escalating and were investigating the incident.
The stabbing sent a wave of tension through parts of the Sokoto metropolis, where Friday prayers draw large congregations.
The incident has renewed concerns over the dangers of mob justice and the need for restraint and due process in handling allegations that touch on religious sensitivities.