Tension has risen in parts of Sokoto metropolis after Islamic cleric Sheikh Musa Ayuba Lukuwa was stabbed shortly after leading Friday prayers at his mosque in Mabera, with the alleged attacker later dying after being beaten by a mob.
The incident, which occurred on September 11, has prompted a police investigation, the closure of the mosque as a crime scene and the creation of a 14-member committee of Islamic scholars to examine the religious controversy surrounding the cleric.
Police said the attack occurred at about 1:50pm, shortly after the Jumu’at prayer, when an unidentified man allegedly attacked Lukuwa with a knife.
According to the police spokesperson, DSP Ahmad Rufa’i, the assailant injured the cleric before worshippers overpowered him. He was subsequently beaten by a mob and later died from injuries sustained in the assault.
The circumstances surrounding his death remain under investigation. Police initially identified him only as an unidentified man, while other accounts have circulated a name that has not been independently confirmed by authorities.
Lukuwa was taken to hospital for treatment and later discharged. In a video after the incident, he said he was well and appealed to his followers and the wider public to remain calm and avoid retaliation.
The controversy preceding the attack has been linked to remarks attributed to Lukuwa on sensitive religious issues, including comments concerning the parents of Prophet Muhammad. The precise context and content of those remarks remain subject to examination.
The Sokoto State Government subsequently ordered the immediate closure of the mosque, declaring it a crime scene and directing that it remain shut until further notice.
Security personnel were deployed around the mosque as investigators began examining the circumstances of both the stabbing and the subsequent death of the alleged attacker.
The government also established a 14-member Advisory Committee of Islamic scholars and representatives of major Muslim organisations to examine the wider religious tensions.
The committee, chaired by Malam Yahaya na Malam Boyi, Sarkin Malamai, includes representatives of Izala, Tijjaniyyah, Qadiriyyah, Jama’atu Nasril Islam and the Sultanate Council. The Commissioner for Religious Affairs, Malam Lawal Maidoki, is also a member, while Barrister Gandi Umar Muhammad serves as secretary.
The committee has been given 14 days to examine the religious issues raised by Lukuwa and advise the government on the appropriate response, including measures to address the immediate and underlying causes of the tension.
The government also urged residents to avoid inflammatory statements and actions capable of threatening peaceful coexistence, while stressing that it would not support the use of religion as a pretext to disrespect Prophet Muhammad, his family or companions.
The police similarly warned against reprisals, provocative gatherings and inflammatory statements, urging residents to allow investigators to establish the facts.
Commissioner of Police, CP Hayatu Hassan Shafa, appealed for calm and cooperation with security agencies, stressing that religious sentiments could not justify taking the law into one’s own hands.
The response has, however, generated a separate controversy over the composition of the advisory committee.
Mallam Murtala Bello Asada, a disciple of Lukuwa, questioned whether the process could command public confidence if people with longstanding disagreements with the cleric were involved.
Asada called for evidence-based inquiry and an opportunity for all sides to present their positions, arguing that the truth should withstand scrutiny. His concerns remain allegations and have not been established as findings against any member of the committee.
The government’s criminal investigation and the scholars’ inquiry are separate but related processes: the first is focused on the stabbing and death of the alleged attacker, while the second is examining the religious controversy and tensions surrounding it.
The mosque remained closed during Friday prayers, with security personnel stationed around the premises in line with the government’s directive.
With Lukuwa recovering and the alleged attacker dead, authorities are now facing the challenge of preventing further violence while establishing the facts surrounding the incident and addressing the underlying religious dispute through lawful and credible processes.
