The Sokoto State Government has ordered the immediate closure of the Musa Lukuwa Jumu’at Mosque in Mabera, Sokoto metropolis, following the stabbing of Islamic cleric, Sheikh Musa Lukuwa, and the subsequent death of the suspected attacker.
The government also declared the mosque a crime scene and directed that it remain closed indefinitely while security authorities investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident.
The measures were contained in a statement issued on Tuesday by the Director-General, Media and Publicity, Government House, Abubakar Bawa.
Lukuwa was reportedly attacked shortly after leading Friday prayers at the mosque when a young man among the worshippers allegedly stabbed him twice in the neck.
The suspect was subsequently overpowered by other worshippers and reportedly killed at the scene.
The police said the cleric survived the attack and was immediately rushed to the Specialist Hospital, Sokoto, where he received treatment for his injuries.
The police spokesperson, DSP Ahmad Rufa’i, later confirmed that Lukuwa had been discharged from the hospital after treatment for injuries sustained to his neck and left hand.
The incident heightened tension across parts of Sokoto metropolis, particularly around Sahara, Bello Way and Aliyu Jodi, as security personnel were deployed to strategic locations to prevent a possible escalation.
Some businesses in the affected areas were also reportedly forced to temporarily shut their premises amid the tension.
The development came against the backdrop of recent protests in Sokoto over the continued remand of Islamic cleric, Sheikh Dahiru Mai Barewa, who had allegedly been accused of threatening Lukuwa and another Islamic scholar, Malam Murtala Bello Assada.
The police had earlier arrested about 20 people in connection with the protests.
The state government, however, warned against exploiting religion to provoke unrest or disrespect the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), his parents, household and companions.
According to Bawa, the government “dissociated itself from any person of any status that hides under the pretext of religion to undermine or disrespect the Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), his parents as well as his companions.”
As part of efforts to address the growing tension, the government also constituted a committee of Islamic scholars to investigate the immediate and underlying causes of the recent religious disturbances in Sokoto metropolis.
The committee is expected to examine the factors responsible for the crisis and advise the government on measures to prevent further escalation.
The government urged residents to refrain from inflammatory or provocative statements capable of worsening the situation, while assuring the public that security agencies would continue to safeguard lives and property.
It said the closure of the mosque and the ongoing investigations were necessary steps towards restoring calm, maintaining religious harmony and preventing further violence in the state.
