Two separate incidents of mob violence were recorded on Monday in Kano State and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, following deadly attacks on worshippers at mosques, resulting in multiple deaths.

In Kano State, an unidentified man was lynched by an angry mob after he was accused of killing a cleric, Mallam Ladan Zubairu, at the Yusuf Garko Mosque, located in the Maraba Quarters area of the state.
An eyewitness told newsmen that the suspect reportedly went to the cleric’s residence in the early hours of Monday and slaughtered him, allegedly severing his throat.
The source said the suspect was immediately pursued by youths in the area, beaten to death and later set ablaze by the mob.

The Kano State Police Command confirmed the incident, adding that the mob also set the suspect’s house on fire, leading to the destruction of property.

It was further reported that hundreds of youths later marched through the area, warning that anyone found committing a similar act would be dealt with instantly.
However, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) in the state, CSP Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa, said calm had since returned to the area following the deployment of security operatives.

Kiyawa disclosed that the police investigation team recovered the severed throat of the victim from the suspect’s pocket.

He said the bodies of both the cleric and the suspect were deposited at the Mohammed Abdullahi Wase Teaching Hospital, Kano, where they were certified dead and are awaiting autopsy.

According to him, the Commissioner of Police, CP Ibrahim Adamu Bakori, has ordered a thorough and comprehensive investigation into the incident to ensure that all those involved in the mob action are brought to justice.

“The police command appeals to members of the public to remain calm and cooperate with law enforcement agencies as the investigation continues.

“We urge citizens to provide any useful information that can assist the investigation, assuring them that such information will be treated with strict confidentiality,” Kiyawa said.

Meanwhile, a similar incident was reported in Abuja, where a man was beaten to death by a mob after allegedly stabbing three worshippers to death during early morning prayers at a mosque.
The incident occurred at a mosque in Kado Bimko, along 1st Avenue in the Gwarinpa District of Abuja.
A witness, Muhammad Auwal, said the suspect, identified as Laminde Boka, attacked the worshippers in the early hours of Monday before he was overpowered and lynched by sympathisers.

Auwal, who operates a kiosk near the mosque, said the first victim was an elderly man popularly known as Alhaji Wanzam, a local barber who usually arrived at the mosque around 4 a.m. to clean the premises.

“Alhaji Wanzam was cleaning the mosque when the suspect suddenly approached him and stabbed him with a knife,” he said.

He added that the suspect, believed to be under the influence of drugs, went on to attack others who tried to intervene.

“The second victim, who operated a grinding machine in a nearby market, was stabbed while attempting to stop the suspect. He later died on the way to the hospital,” Auwal said.
According to him, the suspect chased other worshippers and eventually caught up with a third man who fell while trying to escape.

“He stabbed him to death on the spot,” the witness added.
Following the attacks, residents reportedly resorted to using stones and sticks on the suspect, inflicting injuries that led to his death.
Auwal said the remains of Alhaji Wanzam were taken to his hometown in Gezawa, Kano State, while the second victim was buried in Katsina State.

He added that the third victim, who hailed from Gombe State, was taken to Kubwa General Hospital in Abuja, as his relatives had not been located at the time of reporting.
The Village Head of Kado Bimko, Malam Ibrahim Isiaku, said the incident caused panic in the community, forcing worshippers and people who usually slept around the mosque to flee.

Isiaku said the mosque was subsequently closed and that, following a meeting involving mosque officials, market leaders and the manager of a nearby filling station, it was resolved that no one would be allowed to sleep within the mosque premises henceforth.