Sokoto cleric survives assassination attempt

A popular Sokoto-based Islamic cleric, Murtala Asada, who often criticised terrorism kingpin Bello Turji, has survived an assassination attempt at his residence in the Sokoto metropolis

Some masked armed men reportedly attacked Mr Asada’s residence, but he repelled them with gunshots, several of his colleagues said.

One of the colleagues, Musa Lukuwa, told a Friday congregation that the incident occurred Tuesday night.

He said one of the attackers scaled the fence of Mr Asada’s residence to open the gate for his accomplices, who arrived at the house in vehicles.

“Luckily for the cleric who was watching the attackers from his CCTV camera, he fired gunshots which forced them to abandon their mission and fled the scene”, Mr Lukuwa said.

He urged the congregation to obtain guns with permits from relevant authorities for self-defence as Mr Asada did.

Other sources in Sokoto said the attacker who climbed the fence attempted to kill the gateman, but Mr Asada’s gunfire forced him to abandon the attempt.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, but the cleric and Mr Turji have been in a digital fight over the months, with the terrorist daring the cleric to identify his location and fight him like a man.

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Mr Asada had, in a viral video in September last year, prayed for the killing of Mr Turji, like his boss, Halilu Sububu, who was killed by security forces, for his atrocities against innocent residents of the area.

Responding in a video message, Mr Turji also threatened to kill Mr Asada and accused him of inflaming the crisis in the area instead of fostering solutions to it.

The police in Sokoto State are reportedly investigating the CCTV footage. But the police spokesperson in the state, Ahmed Rufa’i, said he was yet to be briefed about the incident.