The assailant, whose identity was yet to be officially disclosed, was immediately pursued by angry youths after the attack, lynched, and his residence set ablaze.
An elderly Islamic cleric, identified as Ladan Zubairu, was on Monday morning brutally killed at Yusuf Garko Mosque in the Maraba Quarters area of Kano, sparking mob violence and panic before security agents restored order.
The assailant, whose identity was yet to be officially disclosed, was immediately pursued by angry youths after the attack, lynched, and his residence set ablaze, causing destruction to property in the neighbourhood.
Speaking with journalists, the deceased’s son, Isa Kasim, narrated how his father was attacked shortly after calling Muslims to prayer at dawn.
“My father usually makes the first call to prayer and then sits briefly to recite supplications before the second call,” Kasim said.
“He had just finished the first call and was seated when someone entered the mosque with a weapon, grabbed him and slaughtered him. In short, his throat was slit.”
Kasim added that community members swiftly mobilised after the incident and tracked down the suspect.
“By the will of God, the attacker did not escape. Members of the community gathered, tracked him down and killed him,” he stated.
He further revealed that after the suspect was lynched, residents made a horrifying discovery.
“The cleric’s severed throat was found wrapped in a nylon bag inside the suspect’s pocket,” Kasim disclosed.
Confirming the incident, the Kano State Police Command described the killing as a “heinous crime.”
“A heinous crime was committed at Yusuf Garko Mosque, Maraba Quarters, Kano, where Ladan Malam Zubairu, a male resident of the area, was brutally slaughtered by an unknown assailant on Monday, 15th December 2025,” the police said in a statement.
According to the command, eyewitnesses confirmed that the suspect was lynched by an angry mob, while his house was also set on fire.
“The mob also set ablaze the suspect’s residence, causing destruction to property. However, normalcy has been restored in the area with the deployment of security personnel to maintain law and order,” the statement added.
The police revealed that investigators recovered the victim’s severed throat from the suspect’s pocket, while both bodies were evacuated to Mohammed Abdullahi Wase Teaching Hospital, Kano.
“Both bodies have been certified dead and are awaiting autopsy,” the command said.
The Commissioner of Police, CP Ibrahim Adamu Bakori, PhD, has ordered a full investigation into the incident.
“The Commissioner of Police has directed a thorough and comprehensive investigation with a view to bringing all perpetrators to justice,” the statement noted.
The police command appealed to residents to remain calm and support ongoing investigations.
“We urge members of the public to cooperate with law enforcement agencies and provide any information that may aid the investigation. All information will be treated with utmost confidentiality,” the statement assured.
