The Sokoto State Police Command has warned residents against reprisal attacks following the stabbing of an Islamic cleric, Musa Lukawa, at Lukuwa Mosque after Friday prayers.
Lukawa survived the attack and was discharged from hospital after receiving treatment for injuries to his neck and left hand.
The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, DSP Ahmad Rufai, disclosed this in a statement on Friday.
Rufai said the incident occurred at about 1:50pm after the police received a distress call from a concerned citizen.
He said an unidentified man entered the mosque and attacked Lukawa 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 overpowered by an angry mob and killed before security operatives arrived at the scene.
According to Rufai, the suspect was taken to Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital, where a medical doctor confirmed his death and his body was deposited at the hospital’s mortuary.
The police condemned the killing of the suspect, describing it as jungle justice, and urged residents to allow the law to take its course.
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,” Shaffa said.
The command said security personnel had been deployed to the area to maintain law and order while the investigation continued.
It also urged residents to remain vigilant and report suspicious activities to security agencies rather than taking the law into their own hands.
