Premium Times reported Nov. 3 that a video attributed to Jama’at Ansar al-Muslimin fī Bilād Sudan, known as Ansaru, defended the group’s claimed role in cleric Sheikh Yahaya Ibrahim Masussuka’s killing. Police have not named Ansaru as responsible.
The outlet said the recording carried a Nov. 2 date and showed a masked speaker citing at least three historical killings and mob attacks in northern Nigeria against people accused of blasphemy. Premium Times reported that the speaker presented those examples in support of Ansaru’s actions. The video’s authenticity and contents have not been independently verified.
The Katsina State Police Command said two armed men riding a motorcycle opened fire on Masussuka and Adamu Abubakar outside the cleric’s home in Dutsin-Ma on Oct. 26. Police placed the shooting at about 2:30 p.m. ET (18:30 UTC), or 7:30 p.m. WAT. A hospital doctor declared both men dead, the command said. It also said an investigation had begun and tactical teams were deployed to pursue suspects.
Premium Times had earlier reported that a video attributed to Ansaru placed the attack at about 3:30 p.m. ET (19:30 UTC), an hour later than the police estimate. The differing times remain unresolved in the accounts. The report follows EconoTimes’ earlier coverage of the investigation and reported Ansaru claim.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu directed the police and other security agencies to track down and apprehend those responsible and bring them to justice, according to a State House statement issued Oct. 27. The Katsina command said it would provide further updates in due course.
