Tension gripped parts of Sokoto metropolis on Friday after an Islamic cleric, Malam Musa Lukwa, was stabbed shortly after leading the Juma’at prayer at his mosque in the Mabera area of the city.

The cleric was reportedly attacked by a young man believed to be among the worshippers, who allegedly stabbed him twice in the neck before other worshippers overpowered him and killed him.

The attack was said to be connected to a previous sermon delivered by Lukwa, which had reportedly angered some Islamic scholars and their followers, who considered the remarks offensive.

The sermon had earlier sparked tension in the community, with a man identified as Mai Barewa allegedly threatening the cleric and one of his senior students.

Barewa was subsequently arrested and arraigned before a court, with the case still pending.

The cleric and his followers were also said to have formally complained to the Sokoto State Government about the threats, submitting the complaint four days before Friday’s attack.

Confirming the stabbing, the spokesman for the Sokoto State Police Command, DSP Ahmad Rufa’i, said Lukwa had been taken to the Specialist Hospital, Sokoto, where he was receiving treatment and responding to it.

“The cleric was stabbed and has been taken to the Specialist Hospital, Sokoto, where he is receiving treatment and responding to treatment,” Rufa’i said.

He added that the suspected attacker was killed by the cleric’s followers after the incident, while no arrest had been made in connection with the violence that followed.

According to the police spokesman, security operatives had been deployed to prevent the situation from escalating, as investigators worked to establish the circumstances surrounding the attack and identify those involved.

The stabbing, however, triggered protests by some youths in parts of the metropolis after news spread that the cleric had survived the attack.

The resulting tension affected commercial activities in areas including Sahara, Bello Way and Aliyu Jodi, where several shop owners hurriedly shut their businesses for fear of possible attacks.

Residents were also seen leaving some commercial areas as security operatives moved into strategic locations across the affected parts of the city to maintain law and order.

The police subsequently appealed to residents to remain calm and refrain from taking the law into their own hands as investigation into the incident continued.