MASUSUKA: Shocking assassination of outspoken cleric

•His brush with the Katsina government

•Other clerics also killed

By Ibrahim Hassan-Wuyo

The assassination of Islamic cleric Sheikh Yahaya Masusuka in Katsina State has rekindled concerns over the safety of religious scholars in Northern Nigeria, bringing back painful memories of previous killings that shocked Muslim communities and raised questions about the protection of outspoken religious figures.

Masusuka and his friend, Adamu Abubakar, were shot dead on Monday, October 26, 2026, by armed men who arrived on a motorcycle outside the cleric’s residence in Dutsin-Ma Local Government Area of Katsina State.

The circumstances surrounding the attack remain unclear, including the identities of the gunmen and their motive.

However, the killing has drawn attention to a sad history of assassinations involving prominent Islamic scholars in the North.

Masusuka was known for his Qur’an-centred teachings, particularly his position that the Qur’an should be followed without reliance on Hadith traditions.

His views generated disagreements with some Islamic scholars and attracted considerable attention on social media.

Three decades

He had reportedly spent more than three decades preaching Islam and studied at various institutions, including Al-Azhar University in Egypt.

In November 2025, the Katsina State government summoned him following complaints about some of his teachings.

The matter was referred to the Katsina Emirate Council for discussions, while Governor Dikko Radda directed him to respond to the allegations before a committee of Islamic scholars.

His Secretary, Dr Mustapha Haruna, in an interview, also disclosed that the cleric had previously been arrested and spent some months in a correctional facility.

The authorities have also received complaints from Masusuka that members of an Islamic sect were insulting him and threatening to attack him.

Beyond preaching, Masusuka had established Qur’an TV/Radio and Masusuka International School in Dutsin-Ma, with the aim of combining Qur’anic and conventional education. He also advocated peaceful coexistence between Muslims and Christians and had received a Peace Ambassador award in June 2025.

Killings, questions

His death has now raised fresh questions about whether religious leaders facing threats receive adequate protection and whether disagreements over religious teachings are being addressed through peaceful and lawful means.

Masusuka’s assassination relives the killing of Sheikh Ja’afar Mahmoud Adam, one of Nigeria’s most influential Islamic scholars, who was shot dead on April 13, 2007, while leading the early morning Fajr prayer at his mosque in the Gadon Kaya area of Kano.

Sheikh Ja’afar commanded a large following among Sunni Muslims. He was also known for criticising extremist ideologies associated with Boko Haram.

His killing shocked the Muslim community and raised questions about the security of religious scholars whose teachings and public engagements attracted both admiration and controversy.

Three months later, another prominent cleric, Sheikh Umaru Danmaishiyya, was killed on July 18, 2007, while returning home after performing the Isha prayer at his mosque in Sokoto.

Sheikh Goni Tijjani was killed at his residence in Maiduguri on May 9, 2011.

Although the killing occurred during a period of escalating Boko Haram attacks, the group did not claim responsibility for his death.

Sheikh Ali Jana’a was also shot outside his residence in the Bulabulin Ngarnam area of Maiduguri in 2011. Some reports linked the attack to Boko Haram, which allegedly accused him of providing security agencies with information about its activities.

Another cleric, Sheikh Ibrahim Birkuti, was killed outside his residence in Maiduguri in June 2011.

He was said to have criticised Boko Haram’s activities, and his death was subsequently mentioned in accounts of attacks against Islamic scholars opposed to the group’s ideology.

In February 2014, Sheikh Muhammad Auwal Albani Zaria, popularly known as Sheikh Albani, was killed alongside his wife and son by gunmen in Zaria, Kaduna State.

Although these assassinations occurred in different circumstances, they remain part of a painful history of violence against religious scholars in Northern Nigeria.

Reactions

Masusuka’s killing has attracted condemnations from government officials and human rights advocates, with calls for a thorough investigation and justice for the victims.

Amnesty International condemned the killing, expressing concern over threats and intimidation reportedly faced by the cleric and urging the authorities to ensure that those responsible are brought to justice.

President Bola Tinubu also condemned the killing of Masusuka and his friend, Adamu Abubakar, and directed security agencies to intensify investigations to identify and arrest the perpetrators.

Katsina State Governor Dikko Umaru Radda equally condemned the incident, describing the late cleric as a voice for peaceful coexistence and interfaith harmony.

The Northern Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN) has also condemned the assassination, demanding swift justice and accountability.

It called for a comprehensive investigation to identify those responsible, including anyone who may have planned or financed the attack.

In a statement signed by its president, Comrade Isah Abubakar, the council described the killing as an attack not only on an individual but also on scholarship and religious guidance.

For the families of Masusuka and Abubakar, the immediate concern is justice for their loved ones.

For their followers and the wider community, the killing raises questions about the protection available to religious leaders, particularly those whose teachings attract controversy or opposition.

Many have said that religious disagreements, however intense, cannot justify murder.

Equally, the killing of a cleric should not become a pretext for reprisals or accusations against an entire religious organisation or community.

“The authorities must therefore ensure that the investigation is thorough, impartial and transparent, while avoiding premature conclusions about the motive or those responsible,” the youths said.

Sheikh Abdullahi Maraya, a Kaduna-based Islamic scholar, told Sunday Vanguard that the targeted killing of Islamic scholars in Nigeria, including the recent murder of Sheikh Yahaya Ibrahim Masussuka in Dutsinma, Katsina State, and the killings of Sheikh Ja’far Mahmud Adam i, Sheikh Umar Dan-Maishiyya and Sheikh Adam Albani, carries grave security, theological and societal implications.

He said such killings could intensify ideological rivalries and religious intolerance, particularly where competing sects or extremist groups seek to dominate religious discourse and influence.

According to him, the elimination of respected scholars, including those who promote peaceful coexistence, moderation and interfaith dialogue, weakens community reconciliation efforts and could create opportunities for radical ideologies to spread. He added that the failure to ensure transparent investigations, effective prosecutions and justice for victims risks entrenching a culture of impunity, while persistent threats against religious leaders could force surviving scholars to relocate from troubled communities, depriving residents of their spiritual guidance and support.

Maraya further warned that attacks on clerics and threats against Islamic and traditional learning institutions could disrupt religious and Western education, as fearful parents withdraw their children from schools.

He noted that the continued killing of religious leaders and other community figures also deepens psychological trauma, undermines public trust, fuels religious and ethnic tensions, and raises serious questions about the government’s capacity to protect citizens and guarantee justice, irrespective of their faith or background.

His words: “The assassinations of Sheikh Ja’afar, Sheikh Albani and other prominent clerics remain painful chapters in Northern Nigeria’s history.

“Whether Masusuka’s death shares any connection with those earlier killings remains unknown.

“What is clear is that the deaths of Masusuka and his friend have left two families mourning and a community demanding answers.

“The ultimate test for the authorities will be whether they can establish the truth, bring those responsible to justice and demonstrate that religious scholars, like every other citizen, are entitled to the protection of the law.”

Meanwhile, the Katsina State Police Command has since confirmed the killings and said an investigation was under way, with security teams deployed to track down the attackers.

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