Bandits K!ll Islamic Cleric,  Keep Seven Villagers Captiv£

Bandits Kill Islamic Cleric,  Keep Seven Villagers Captive

The attack occurred in Layin Danauta, Kuyello Ward, where the victim, Mallam Bello Abubakar, an Assistant Imam at the local Izala Mosque, was attacked and killed.

Bandits on Wednesday killed an Islamic cleric in the Birnin Gwari area of Kaduna State, raising fresh questions about recent claims of peace agreements in the troubled region.

The attack occurred in Layin Danauta, Kuyello Ward, where the victim, Mallam Bello Abubakar, an Assistant Imam at the local Izala Mosque, was attacked and killed.

Reacting to the killing, the victim’s brother, Abdullah Birnin Gwari, expressed deep grief and frustration over the continued insecurity in the area.

“It is with a heavy heart that we announce the brutal murder of our senior scholar, Mallam Bello. He was a leader in Quranic interpretation, especially during Ramadan, at the Izala Grand Mosque here in Layin Danauta. This is a profound loss, and we are in deep pain and confusion,” Gwari said.

“We call on the government and security agencies to fear God and address this matter with the seriousness it deserves. The lives of our people are not a joke. Killing scholars and servants of God destroys peace and instills terror in the community.

“Everyone knows the perpetrators are not beyond the reach of the state. If they are left unchecked, it is negligence or worse,” he said.

“Power is meaningless if it is built upon the blood of God’s servants. To those who kill and spread violence: fear God. Life is a sacred trust. Murder is a grave sin, punishable severely in this world and the hereafter.”

Local sources also confirmed that seven other residents of Layin Danauta remain in captivity, having been abducted months ago by the same bandit groups terrorising the village and surrounding communities.