The Sokoto State Police Command has warned residents against reprisal attacks and jungle justice following the stabbing of an Islamic cleric, Musa Lukawa, at Lukuwa Mosque shortly after Friday prayers.

The command said Lukawa survived the attack and was discharged from hospital after receiving treatment for injuries sustained to his neck and left hand.

The State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Ahmad Rufai, disclosed this in a statement on Friday, saying the incident occurred at about 1:50pm after the command received a distress call from a concerned citizen.

According to Rufai, an unidentified man entered the mosque shortly after the Jumu’at prayer and attacked the cleric with a sharp knife.

“The assailant, who brought out a sharp knife, inflicted deep cuts on the victim’s neck and left hand,” the police spokesman said.

He said the suspect was subsequently overpowered by an angry mob and killed before security operatives arrived at the scene.

Rufai said the suspect was taken to the Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital, where a medical doctor confirmed him dead before his body was deposited at the hospital’s mortuary.

“The deceased assailant was rushed to the Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital, where he was confirmed dead by a medical doctor and his body deposited at the UDUTH Mortuary,” he said.

The police condemned the killing of the suspect, describing it as an act of jungle justice, and urged residents not to take the law into their own hands.

The command said the killing of the suspect was unacceptable, despite the outrage generated by the attack on the cleric, stressing that only due process could establish the circumstances surrounding the incident and ensure justice.

The Commissioner of Police, CP Hayatu Hassan Shaffa, appealed to residents to remain calm and allow investigators to determine what happened.

“It is imperative that we allow the law to take its course to ensure justice is served appropriately,” Shaffa said.

The command said security personnel had been deployed to the area to maintain law and order and prevent any possible reprisal attack following the incident.

The police also said investigation into the stabbing and subsequent killing of the suspect was ongoing.

The command urged residents to remain vigilant and promptly report suspicious activities to security agencies rather than resorting to violence or taking the law into their own hands.