Kano Cleric Killed While Calling Muslims to Prayer, Community in Shock
Tragedy struck the Maraba Quarters area of Kano State on Monday morning when an elderly Islamic cleric, identified as Ladan Zubairu, was killed inside the Yusuf Garko Mosque while performing his early morning religious duties. The incident occurred at dawn, a time usually associated with calm and devotion, leaving residents deeply shaken and struggling to comprehend the brutality of the act.
According to information gathered, Zubairu had gone to the mosque as usual to call Muslims to the early morning prayer. His son, Isa Kasim, who spoke to journalists after the incident, explained that his father followed a long-standing routine. After making the first call to prayer, the cleric typically sat briefly inside the mosque to recite supplications before proceeding with the second call.
On this particular morning, that routine was violently interrupted. Kasim recounted that shortly after his father completed the first call and sat down, an unidentified individual entered the mosque armed with a weapon. The attacker reportedly grabbed the elderly cleric and slit his throat at close range, killing him instantly.
The killing immediately triggered panic and outrage within the community. Youths and residents reportedly mobilised in response, pursuing the suspected assailant as he attempted to flee the area. The suspect was eventually caught by an angry mob and lynched before security operatives could intervene. In the aftermath, the suspect’s residence was set ablaze, further escalating tension in the neighbourhood.
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Kasim disclosed that after the assailant was killed, residents made a disturbing discovery. The severed throat of the cleric was allegedly found wrapped in a nylon bag inside the suspect’s pocket, a detail that added to the horror of the incident and deepened fears among residents.
The Kano State Police Command confirmed the incident in an official statement. The Police Public Relations Officer, CSP Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa, said officers were immediately deployed to the area to restore calm and prevent further violence. According to him, the swift intervention of security personnel helped to contain the situation and bring the area back to relative normalcy.
Both the cleric and the alleged attacker were taken to the Mohammed Abdullahi Wase Teaching Hospital, where their bodies were deposited for autopsy. The Commissioner of Police in the state, CP Ibrahim Adamu Bakori, has ordered a comprehensive investigation into the circumstances surrounding the killing, the identity and motive of the attacker, and the subsequent mob action.
The police have also appealed to residents of Maraba Quarters and surrounding communities to remain calm and cooperate with investigators by providing any information that could assist in uncovering the full details of the incident. Authorities stressed that while the emotions of the community are understandable, violence and mob justice only worsen already tragic situations.
This incident is the latest in a series of violent episodes involving religious figures in Kano State. In September, the family of another Islamic cleric, Salim Usman, protested his death while in police custody. Usman, an imam from the Kuntau community in Gwale Local Government Area, was reported to have died at the State Criminal Investigation Department, with relatives alleging he was tortured.
The killing of Ladan Zubairu has once again brought issues of security, religious safety, and community justice to the forefront in Kano. Residents and religious leaders alike have called for restraint, accountability, and a thorough investigation to ensure that the truth is established and that justice is pursued through lawful means rather than violence.
As investigations continue, the incident stands as a grim reminder of the fragile security situation in parts of the country and the urgent need for effective policing, community engagement, and mechanisms to prevent both targeted attacks and retaliatory mob violence.