Man stabs cleric after Friday prayer in Sokoto

An Islamic cleric, Malam Musa Lukwa, was stabbed in Sokoto shortly after leading Friday prayer at his mosque in the Mabera area of the city. According to Daily Trust, the cleric was attacked twice in the neck by a young man who was among the worshippers, reportedly in one of the front rows.

The incident was allegedly linked to a previous sermon delivered by the cleric, during which he cited a Hadith that some Islamic scholars considered offensive to the parents of Prophet Muhammad. The suspect, identified as Mai Barewa, had previously threatened to kill Malam Musa Lukwa and his senior student, Malam Murtala Assada, after the cleric reported the threat to the police, leading to the suspect's arrest and arraignment.

The suspect was overpowered and beaten to death by worshippers at the mosque. The motive for the attack, as per Daily Trust, was reportedly a sermon given by Malam Musa Lukwa.

Brief written by urgent.news from Punch Nigeria, Daily Trust — 2 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.