A tragic incident occurred on Monday morning at Yusuf Garko Mosque in the Maraba Quarters area of Kano State, where an elderly Islamic cleric, identified as Ladan Zubairu, was killed while performing his religious duties.

RealityGist gathered that the incident happened at dawn as the cleric stepped out to call Muslims to prayer. Shortly after the attack, the suspect was reportedly chased by an angry crowd and killed. His residence was also set on fire, creating tension in the area before security operatives intervened to restore order.

Speaking to journalists, the deceased’s son, Isa Kasim, explained that his father had followed his usual routine that morning.

“He went out to make the first call to prayer and then sat briefly to recite supplications before the second call,” Kasim said.

He added that while his father was seated inside the mosque, an unknown individual entered and attacked him.

Following the incident, some youths in the community reportedly mobilised, tracked down the attacker, and killed him.

“By the will of God, the suspect did not escape. Members of the community pursued him and he was eventually killed,” Kasim added.

He further disclosed that after the suspect was subdued, residents made disturbing discoveries linking him directly to the attack.

Confirming the incident, the Kano State Police Public Relations Officer, CSP Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa, said officers were swiftly deployed to the area to prevent further violence.

“Our officers acted promptly to restore calm and prevent the situation from escalating. Normalcy has now returned to Maraba Quarters,” Kiyawa stated.

According to the police, both bodies were recovered and taken to the Mohammed Abdullahi Wase Teaching Hospital for autopsy.

The Commissioner of Police in the state, CP Ibrahim Adamu Bakori, has ordered a comprehensive investigation into the incident.

“We are committed to ensuring that anyone found responsible will be dealt with in accordance with the law,” Kiyawa added.

Residents have been urged to remain calm and cooperate with security agencies by providing useful information to aid the investigation.

This incident comes months after another controversial case in Kano, where the family of an Islamic cleric, Salim Usman, protested his death in police custody in September. The cleric, an imam from the Kuntau community in Gwale Local Government Area, reportedly died while being held by the State Criminal Investigation Department, with his family alleging torture.