SOKOTO POLICE WARN AGAINST REPRISAL AFTER ISLAMIC CLERIC SURVIVES STABBING

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By ‘Sefiu Ajape

The Sokoto State Police Command has appealed for calm and warned residents against reprisal attacks following the stabbing of an Islamic cleric, Musa Lukawa, at Lukuwa Mosque shortly after Friday prayers.

The command said Lukawa survived the attack and was discharged from hospital after receiving treatment for injuries sustained to his neck and left hand.

The State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Ahmad Rufai, disclosed this in a statement on Friday, saying the incident occurred at about 1:50pm after the police received a distress call from a concerned citizen.

According to him, an unidentified man entered the mosque and attacked the cleric shortly after the Jumu’at prayer.

“The assailant, who brought out a sharp knife, inflicted deep cuts on the victim’s neck and left hand,” Rufai said.

He said the suspect was subsequently overpowered and killed by an angry mob 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.

The police condemned the killing of the suspect, describing it as an act of jungle justice despite the outrage generated by the attack on the cleric.

The Commissioner of Police, CP Hayatu Hassan Shaffa, urged residents to allow the police investigation to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident.

“It is imperative that we allow the law to take its course to ensure justice is served appropriately,” the CP said.

The command said security personnel had been deployed to the area to maintain law and order while investigation into the incident continued.

It urged residents to remain vigilant and report suspicious activities to security agencies rather than taking the law into their own hands.