Man Lynched For Stabbing Islamic Cleric During Friday Prayer

An Islamic cleric, Malam Musa Lukawa, narrowly escaped death after he was attacked with a knife shortly after the Jumu’at prayer at Lukuwa Mosque in Sokoto State.
The incident occurred on Friday, with the Sokoto State Police Command confirming that it had commenced an investigation into the attack and the subsequent killing of the alleged assailant by an angry mob.
Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Ahmad Rufai, said the command received a distress call from a concerned citizen reporting the incident, and quickly swung into action.
According to Rufai, preliminary investigations showed that an unidentified man entered the mosque shortly after the Friday prayer and attacked Lukawa with a sharp knife.
“The assailant, who brought out a sharp knife, inflicted deep cuts on the victim’s neck and left hand,” he said.
The suspect was reportedly overpowered by an angry mob and lynched before security operatives could intervene.
Rufai said the suspect was taken to the Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital (UDUTH), where he was confirmed dead and his remains deposited at the mortuary.
Lukawa, however, survived the attack and was discharged after receiving treatment at a specialist hospital.
The police condemned the mob killing, urging residents to shun jungle justice and actions capable of triggering further unrest.
Commissioner of Police, CP Hayatu Hassan Shaffa, appealed to residents to remain calm and cooperate with security agencies while the investigation continues.
He urged residents not to resort to self help, rather they should allow the law to take its course whenever such incident happened.
The command said security personnel had been deployed to the area to maintain law and order and prevent possible reprisal attacks.