Sokoto forms committee to look into cleric's remarks about Prophet Muhammad

The Governor of Sokoto State, Ahmed Aliyu, has set up a 14-member Advisory Committee. This committee will investigate the issues from recent comments made by some Islamic scholars in the state.

The governor’s spokesperson, Abubakar Bawa, announced this in a statement on Tuesday.

Yahaya Boyi will chair the panel. Its job is to look into the legal and religious implications of the statements made by Musa Lukuwa, which many consider disrespectful to a religious belief.

The formation of the committee comes after concerns over public comments that have raised religious tensions in the state.

According to its terms of reference, the committee must carefully review the Shari’ah's stance on the matters raised by Mr Lukuwa and offer advice to the government.

The committee is expected to present its report and recommendations to the state government within 14 days.

This group includes well-known clerics, legal experts, important government officials, and members from major Islamic organizations and sects both within and outside the state. They will look into the controversial comments thoroughly.

On Friday, Mr Lukuwa was stabbed in the neck at his mosque in Mabera, a part of Sokoto city.

This attack came after weeks of rising tension over public remarks he made. Critics said these remarks were blasphemous or disrespectful to the parents of Prophet Muhammad.

The stabbing led to a mob reaction at the mosque, which resulted in the death of the attacker. Following this, the state government closed the mosque and formed the advisory panel to help restore peace.

Mr Lukuwa was injured in the attack and taken to a hospital, where he received treatment and was released on Friday.

This incident reportedly sparked a violent reaction from some of Mr Lukuwa's followers and rival Islamic groups in the area.