Sheikh Masussuka's Last Evening: A Shocking Attack

Sheikh Yahaya Masussuka was getting ready to leave his home in Dutsin-Ma, Katsina State, on Monday evening. His wife, Fatima, went outside with him. He was heading to teach his Almajirai students. But he forgot his bag, so she went back to get it.

Then she heard four gunshots.

"Before I knew what was happening, I heard four gunshots. When I came out, I discovered that he had been shot," Mrs. Yahaya told PUNCH.

The cleric was shot outside his house in Karambanin Ɗan Abba, Bakin Kasuwa. Adamu Abubakar, a close friend, was also killed.

At the same time in Dutsin-Ma, Abdulrahim Sabiu was setting up the studio for Mr. Masussuka's evening classes. The police said two armed men on a motorcycle attacked Mr. Masussuka and Mr. Abubakar on Monday, 26 October.

The police said the shooting happened around 7.30 p.m. But Aliyu Ladan, a neighbor who knew the cleric for about 20 years, remembered it happening closer to 8.30 p.m., right after the Isha prayer.

Mr. Ladan told PREMIUM TIMES he was coming from the roadside when he saw Mr. Masussuka coming out and noticed a vehicle was started. He was near the entrance when he heard several gunshots.

He looked toward the scene after the shooting stopped but could not see the attackers. He approached from the south, while the gunfire came from the north, and vehicle headlights blocked his view.

When he reached the cleric, he found him lying on the ground. He called for help and assisted in lifting Mr. Masussuka into a vehicle for hospital evacuation.

Mr. Ladan thought the cleric had died before reaching the hospital. The police said an attending doctor confirmed Mr. Masussuka and Mr. Abubakar had died at the hospital.

In Hayin Gada, where Mr. Masussuka grew up, Mr. Sabiu was waiting for him that evening. A longtime student and associate, Mr. Sabiu said he left his friends at about 8.20 p.m. to open the studio. He turned on the air conditioner and got ready for the evening's activities.

Mr. Masussuka was expected between 8.30 and 8.40 p.m., a time that Ahmad Rufa’i, another close associate, said matched the cleric’s usual routine. Imran Nasarisu, a student, also remembered that the cleric was preparing to come to the teaching venue.

The studio was in the same area as Bani Adam Academy, where Mr. Masussuka studied. His former teacher, Yahaya Bani Adam, still lived nearby. While Mr. Sabiu waited, a student brought news that Mr. Masussuka had been shot.

He first went to the cleric’s house, where people had gathered, before heading to the hospital. Mr. Sabiu said he found Mr. Masussuka and Mr. Abubakar lying still when he got to the hospital.

Mr. Rufa’i, who also heard about the shooting, arrived there separately. He later took Mr. Masussuka’s body to Katsina, the state capital. He remembered getting there around 12.30 a.m. and staying until about 4 a.m.

An associate who knew the aftermath also reported that a driver named Suleiman and a woman were hurt during the incident. The associate described damage to a Toyota RAV4, including broken glass and visible bullet marks.

PREMIUM TIMES could not confirm the details of those injuries or check the vehicle. The police's first statement didn’t include any information about other victims.

When PREMIUM TIMES went to Hayin Gada after the shooting, mourners had gathered in the area where Mr. Masussuka lived part of his early life. Among those grieving was Mr. Bani Adam, his former teacher.

Mr. Bani Adam remembered Mr. Masussuka as a student and spoke of his death with religious acceptance. He said he did not suspect anyone was responsible.

In Karambanin Ɗan Abba, Mr. Ladan remembered a man he had known for about 20 years. He described the cleric as helpful, kind, and respectful towards his neighbors.

Mr. Ladan said residents were worried about the shooting, especially since it happened in their neighborhood. He also talked about Mr. Abubakar as a scholar and a trusted friend of Sheikh Masussuka.

According to Mr. Ladan, Mr. Abubakar was from a place called Nasarawa and studied with the cleric. But the neighbor admitted he did not know Mr. Abubakar well enough to confirm those details.

For the cleric’s students, the killing cut short the work they expected him to continue. Mr. Sabiu said Mr. Masussuka had completed a Qur’anic commentary called Tafsir al-Quran bil-Quran and was planning a gathering for people from different religious backgrounds.

Mr. Rufa’i also remembered his dream of starting a university. After the killing, the extremist group Ansaru claimed responsibility for the attack, as reported by PREMIUM TIMES.

This claim has not been verified, and the police have not confirmed who the attackers are. In a statement after the shooting, police spokesperson Abubakar Sadiq Aliyu said the Commissioner of Police, Ali Fage, had ordered teams to investigate the killings and find those responsible.

President Bola Tinubu also condemned the killings and called for a thorough investigation. At the time of this report, PREMIUM TIMES had not confirmed any arrests linked to the attack.

At the Hayin Gada studio, Abdulrahim Sabiu had opened the place and turned on the air conditioner, waiting for Sheikh Masussuka. But the teacher never came.