, Sokoto State Police Command, Mr. Rufa’i Ahmad, on Friday confirmed the death of one person who){kind=link}
The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Sokoto State Police Command, Mr. Rufa’i Ahmad, on Friday confirmed the death of one person who stabbed a prominent Islamic cleric, Malam Musa Lukuwa, in Sokoto.
Ahmad told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the deceased was killed through mob action after he used a knife to stab Lukuwa in the stomach immediately after the Friday prayer congregation.
He said Lukuwa, who led the Friday congregation, was currently receiving treatment at the Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital (UDUTH), while the deceased had been evacuated.
The PPRO said no arrest had been made in connection with the incident, adding that the situation was under control and enjoined people to remain calm and law-abiding.
NAN reports that Lukuwa was accused of blaspheming against Prophet Muhammad, Peace Be Upon Him (PBUH), a situation that triggered anger among Muslim faithful.
A notorious Sokoto-based gangster, Dahiru Maibarewa, had publicly pledged to kill Lukuwa at any opportunity over the utterances attributed to the Holy Prophet, a situation that attracted demonstrations on the streets in Sokoto metropolis.
NAN recalls that a coalition of Islamic groups had submitted a petition to the Sokoto State Government and security agencies against Lukuwa, urging the authorities to sanction him over utterances capable of instigating violence in the state and beyond.
At a press conference on Sept. 4, Islamic cleric Sheikh Abubakar Yagawal called on Muslims to abhor and oppose any cleric perpetrating blasphemous content in whatever guise for peaceful coexistence in the country.
Yagawal, who is the Leader of the National Sufi Council of Nigeria and National Commissioner in the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), described the utterances made by Lukuwa as unbecoming and capable of instigating violence among Muslim communities.
Yagawal stressed that a coalition of Islamic religious groups in Sokoto State had called on the federal and state governments and security agencies to investigate and sanction Lukuwa over the utterances.
According to him, the groups are strengthening collaboration to ensure justice is done on the issue for safety and peaceful coexistence, noting that blasphemy against the Prophet surely attracts calamity and chaos in society.
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