Tension erupted in parts of 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 reportedly attacked by a young man among the worshippers, who allegedly stabbed him twice in the neck before other members of the congregation overpowered the suspect and killed him.
The attack was said to be connected with a controversial sermon previously delivered by the cleric, which reportedly angered some Islamic scholars and their followers over comments they considered offensive to the parents of Prophet Muhammad.
The sermon had earlier sparked tension in the area, with a man identified as Mai Barewa allegedly threatening Lukwa and one of his senior students.
Barewa was subsequently arrested and arraigned before a court, with the case reportedly still pending.
Amid the threats, the cleric and his followers were said to have submitted a written complaint to the Sokoto State Government four days before Friday’s attack, raising concerns over their safety.
Confirming the stabbing, the spokesman for the Sokoto State Police Command, DSP Ahmad Rufa’i, said Lukwa was receiving treatment at the Specialist Hospital, Sokoto.
He said the cleric was responding to treatment, while the suspected attacker was killed by the cleric’s followers.
Rufa’i added that no arrest had been made over the violence that followed the killing of the suspect, while the police had deployed measures to prevent the situation from escalating.
The incident, however, reportedly triggered protests in parts of the metropolis after news spread that the cleric had survived the attack.
Areas including Sahara, Bello Way and Aliyu Jodi were said to have witnessed heightened tension, with several shop owners shutting their businesses for fear of possible attacks.
Some residents were also seen leaving commercial areas as security operatives moved into strategic locations to maintain law and order.
The police urged residents to remain calm and warned against taking the law into their own hands as investigation into the attack and subsequent violence continues.
