An elderly Islamic cleric, identified as Ladan Zubairu, was killed on Monday morning at the Yusuf Garko Mosque in the Maraba Quarters area of Kano State while calling Muslims to prayer.
The incident reportedly triggered chaos in the area as residents pursued the suspected attacker, who was later lynched by an angry mob. The suspect’s residence was also set ablaze before security operatives intervened and restored order.
Speaking with journalists, the deceased’s son, Isa Kasim, said his father had gone out at dawn to perform the call to prayer. He explained that after the first call, his father usually sat briefly to recite supplications before making the second call.
“He had just completed the first call and was seated when someone entered the mosque with a weapon, grabbed him and slaughtered him. His throat was slit,” Kasim said.
He added that youths in the community quickly mobilised after the attack and tracked down the assailant.
“By the will of God, the attacker did not escape. Members of the community gathered, pursued him and killed him,” he said.
Confirming the incident, the Kano State Police Public Relations Officer, CSP Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa, said officers swiftly intervened to prevent further violence and restore calm in the area.
“Our officers acted promptly to control the situation and prevent escalation. Normalcy has since returned to Maraba Quarters,” Kiyawa said.
The police recovered the bodies of both the cleric and the suspected attacker and transported them to the Mohammed Abdullahi Wase Teaching Hospital for autopsy.
The Commissioner of Police, CP Ibrahim Adamu Bakori, has ordered a comprehensive investigation into the incident, assuring that anyone found culpable will face the full weight of the law.
Police authorities also appealed to residents to remain calm and cooperate by providing useful information to aid the ongoing investigation.
The incident adds to a growing list of violent attacks involving clerics in the state. In September, the family of another Islamic cleric, Salim Usman, protested his death in police custody, alleging he was tortured. Usman, an imam from the Kuntau community in Gwale Local Government Area, reportedly died while in the custody of the State Criminal Investigation Department.
