Dawn horror in Kano: Elderly cleric slain inside Mosque, suspect lynched by mob

By Yakub Lada

A wave of shock and grief swept through Maraba Quarters in Kano on Monday morning following a gruesome attack that claimed the life of an elderly Islamic cleric, Mallam Ladan Zubairu, inside Yusuf Garko Mosque shortly after dawn prayers.

Eyewitnesses said the respected cleric was brutally murdered in cold blood within the sacred confines of the mosque, a development that left worshippers and residents traumatised. The attacker reportedly slit the cleric’s throat moments after the first call to prayer, turning what should have been a moment of spiritual reflection into a scene of unspeakable violence.

Speaking to journalists, the deceased’s son, Isa Kasim, recounted his father’s final moments, describing them as both routine and tragically interrupted. According to him, his father had gone out early, as he had done for years, to call Muslims to the Subhi (dawn) prayer.

“He made the first call to prayer and, as was his habit, sat briefly inside the mosque to recite supplications before making the second call,” Kasim said. “It was while he was seated that someone entered the mosque with a weapon, grabbed him and slaughtered him. In short, his throat was slit.”

The brutal killing immediately sparked outrage in the community. Residents said the suspect attempted to flee but was quickly pursued by angry youths who mobilised within minutes of the attack. The assailant was eventually caught, beaten to death, and his house set ablaze, plunging the area into fear and tension before security operatives arrived.

“By the will of God, the attacker did not escape,” Kasim added. “Members of the community gathered, tracked him down and killed him.”

In a chilling revelation, Kasim disclosed that after the suspect was lynched, residents made a disturbing discovery. “The severed throat of my father was found wrapped in a nylon bag inside the assailant’s pocket,” he said, a detail that further deepened the horror surrounding the incident.

Confirming the development, the Kano State Police Public Relations Officer, CSP Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa, said police officers were swiftly deployed to the area to contain the situation and prevent a wider breakdown of law and order.

“Our officers quickly intervened to restore calm and prevent further escalation. Normalcy has now returned to Maraba Quarters,” Kiyawa stated.

He disclosed that the bodies of both the slain cleric and the suspect had been recovered and deposited at the Mohammed Abdullahi Wase Teaching Hospital, where autopsies would be conducted.

According to the police spokesperson, the Commissioner of Police in Kano State, CP Ibrahim Adamu Bakori, has ordered a comprehensive investigation into the incident to unravel the circumstances surrounding the attack and the subsequent mob action.

“We are committed to ensuring that anyone found culpable will face the full force of the law,” Kiyawa said.

Authorities have also appealed to residents of Maraba Quarters and surrounding communities to remain calm and avoid taking the law into their own hands, urging them instead to cooperate with the police by providing credible information that could aid the ongoing investigation.

The tragic incident has not only left a family mourning but has also reignited concerns over rising violence, mob justice, and security around places of worship, as Kano residents struggle to come to terms with a dawn that began in prayer but ended in bloodshed.