The Sokoto State Police Command has called for calm and warned residents against reprisal attacks following the stabbing of an Islamic cleric, Musa Lukawa, at Lukuwa Mosque after Friday prayers.
The command stated that Lukawa survived the attack and was released from the hospital after undergoing treatment for neck and left hand injuries.
DSP Ahmad Rufai, the State Police Public Relations Officer, said in a statement on Friday that the event occurred about 1:50pm after the police received a distress call from a concerned civilian.
He claims that shortly after Jumu’at prayer, an unidentified man entered the mosque and assaulted the priest.
“The assailant, who brought out a sharp knife, inflicted deep cuts on the victim’s neck and left hand,” Rufai said.
He stated that the suspect was subsequently overpowered by an angry mob and killed before security operatives arrived at the scene.
“The deceased assailant was rushed to the Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital, where he was confirmed dead by a medical doctor and his body deposited at the UDUTH Mortuary,” he said.
Despite the indignation caused by the cleric’s attack, the police condemned the suspect’s killing as an act of jungle justice.
The Commissioner of Police, CP Hayatu Hassan Shaffa, encouraged citizens to let the police probe to uncover the facts of the incident.
“It is imperative that we allow the law to take its course to ensure justice is served appropriately,” the CP stated.
The command stated that security officers had been dispatched to the area to ensure law and order while an inquiry into the event was ongoing.
It asked locals to be watchful and report any suspicious activity to security officials rather than taking the law into their own hands.
