The Kano State Police Command has arrested a man who set a mosque ablaze while worshippers were performing the early morning prayer. He said he did it because he believed they had not fairly shared their inheritance.
The man, Shafi’u Abubakar, 38 years old, surrendered himself to the police, stating that he took this extreme step to avenge what he perceived as being shortchanged during the inheritance distribution.
The State Police confirmed that 24 persons sustained different degrees of burns in the incident, which occurred when Abubakar used petrol to set the mosque ablaze, trapping worshippers inside, in Laraba Abasawa, Gezawa Local Government Area of Kano State.
Fortunately, no lives were lost, but injured worshippers were rushed to the Murtala Muhammad Specialist Hospital in Kano for treatment. Abubakar stated to the police that he set the mosque on fire out of frustration with those he believed had cheated him during the inheritance sharing, and they were present in the mosque at the time.
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The police spokesperson, SP Haruna Kiyawa, confirmed the arrest and stated that Abubakar is in police custody, with detailed investigations ongoing.
He added that the attack took place during the early morning prayer, causing harm to several community members. Abubakar used petrol to ignite the fire, trapping approximately 40 worshippers inside the mosque. He then locked the mosque doors, worsening the situation and preventing their escape.
It took some time for people outside to become aware of the incident and rescue those trapped inside. Good Samaritans eventually broke open the doors and rescued the worshippers. Those with serious injuries were taken to the Murtala Muhammad Specialist Hospital in Kano for medical treatment.