Sokoto Cleric Stabbed After Friday Prayers, Attacker Lynched

Tension gripped parts of Sokoto metropolis on Friday after a prominent Islamic cleric was stabbed shortly after leading Juma’at prayers, an attack that ended with his alleged assailant being beaten to death by worshippers.

Malam Musa Lukwa (also referred to in reports as Sheikh Musa Lukuwa or Musa Ayyuba Lukuwa) was attacked at his mosque in the Mabera area of the city. A young man among the congregation reportedly rose after the prayer and stabbed the cleric—accounts differ on the exact location of the wounds, with some saying twice in the neck and others mentioning the stomach—before other worshippers overpowered him and killed him on the spot.

The incident is widely linked to a controversial sermon the cleric delivered earlier, in which he cited a Hadith that some Islamic scholars, particularly those associated with the Tariqa order, regarded as offensive to the parents of Prophet Muhammad (SAW). The remarks sparked accusations of blasphemy in certain quarters and inflamed religious sensitivities in the state.

ADVERTISEMENT

In the weeks that followed, a man identified as Dahiru Mai Barewa (also known as Mai Barewa or Maibarewa) allegedly issued public threats against Lukwa and one of his senior students, Malam Murtala Assada (or Asada). The threats, reportedly circulated in videos, prompted the cleric and his followers to report the matter to the police. Mai Barewa was arrested, arraigned and remanded, with the case still pending. Days before Friday’s attack, Lukwa’s group also submitted a written complaint to the Sokoto State Government expressing fears for their safety. Supporters of Mai Barewa had staged protests earlier in the week demanding his release, leading to clashes with security forces and the arrest of about 20 people.

Sokoto State Police Command spokesman DSP Ahmad Rufa’i confirmed the Friday incident. He said the cleric was receiving treatment at the Specialist Hospital in Sokoto and was responding well. (Some reports placed him at Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital.) The suspected attacker, Rufa’i added, was killed by the cleric’s followers; no arrests had been made in connection with the subsequent violence at the time of his statement. Police said measures were in place to prevent escalation and that investigations were ongoing to establish the full circumstances.

News that the cleric had survived triggered protests by some youths in parts of the city, including Sahara, Bello Way and Aliyu Jodi. Shop owners hurriedly closed businesses and residents left commercial areas amid fears of further unrest. Security operatives were deployed to strategic locations to restore order. Authorities urged residents to remain calm and refrain from taking the law into their own hands.
The attack occurs against a backdrop of heightened religious tensions in Sokoto. Only days earlier, the same cleric had led funeral prayers for Usman Buda (or Buba), a butcher and Qur’an memoriser who was killed in a separate alleged blasphemy dispute at the city’s abattoir—an incident that itself drew widespread attention and calls for justice.

As of Friday evening, the situation remained tense but under control, with police continuing investigations into both the stabbing and the mob killing of the attacker. The episode has once again highlighted the dangers of religious polarisation and the recurring problem of extrajudicial violence in the state.