Gunmen kill popular Northern cleric Sheikh Yahaya Masussuka

Nigeria Police Force for Katsina State northern Nigeria don confam di killing of popular Islamic cleric Sheikh Yahya Masussuka for im house for Dutsen-Ma area.

For one interview wit BBC, di Dutsen-Ma police chief reveal say gunmen kill di well-known cleric on Monday evening for di entrance of im house.

CSP Auwalu Gwadabe tok say di cleric die from gunshot wounds afta dem carry am go hospital.

Di cleric secretary, Dr Mustapha Haruna, also confam Masussuka death for Dutsen-Ma General Hospital.

One of di prominent scholars wey follow di same ideology as Masussuka, Sheikh Usman Dangungu, express im shock ova di killing, tok say dem go allow investigation reveal di pipo wey carry out di attack.

Bifor im assassination, Sheikh Masussuka dey among di Islamic scholars wey im teachings dey cause controversy for northern Nigeria and neighbouring kontris.

Many Islamic scholars dey criticise am bicos of im belief of rejecting di traditions of Prophet Muhammad, as e dey attribute all im teachings to di Quran.

Di incident lead to di situation wey make Katsina State Govment summon di cleric for November 2025 over allegations of "harassing scholars and defaming di hadiths of Prophet Muhammad".

How Sheikh Masussuka take die

Inside one statement wey Nigeria Police Force for Katsina State issue through im Public Relations Officer, DSP Abubakar Aliyu, tok say dem kill Sheikh Masussuka around 7:30pm for gate of im house for Dutsen-Ma Local Govment Area of Katsina State.

Di statement add say "dem kill di cleric togeda wit im friend Adamu Abubakar for di gun attack."

Di teacher secretary tok say Masussuka leave house wit di intention to go im usual place of study.

Di police statement tok say shortly afta di incident, dem rush di teacher and im friend go one nearby hospital, wia doctors confam di death of both of dem.

Di statement also add say di state Commissioner of Police don announce di start of investigation to track down di pipo responsible for di killing.

Wetin be Sheikh Masussuka belief

As e no dey hide im understanding, Sheikh Masussuka na pesin wey follow pure understanding of di Quran, sometin wey don make am regularly criticise hadiths wey, according to am, "affect di value of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)."

E don previously make name for imsef through one sara wey e call "Ritaya Dole", wia e tok say e dey determined to challenge di understanding wey followers of "Salaf" or so-called Ahlussunnah, or members of di Izala sect, dey teach.

Pipo believe say dis incident increase di disagreement between di cleric and followers of Salafist ideology, as both sides exchange insults during sermons and for social media.

Sheikh Masussuka get one radio station and television station, as well as schools for Dutsen-Ma, Katsina State, which e tok say e establish to spread di teachings of di Quran.

Who be Sheikh Ibrahim Yahaya Masussuka?

Sheikh Yahya Masussuka, wey be popular Islamic cleric from Katsina State, spend more dan 30 years dey preach, as e start di work from when e be 13 years old.

Dem born Sheikh Yahya Masussuka on 19 September 1979 for Biyawa village, wey dey under Batsari Local Govment Area at dat time bifor e later bicom part of Dutsin-Ma Local Govment Area for Katsina State, northwestern Nigeria.

E get two wives and seven children. One of im children na Yusuf, wey people expect go continue the religious preaching work wey im papa leave behind.

Sheikh Masussuka study for different places, especially traditional Qur'anic schools and Islamic learning centres, bifor e kontinu go Al-Azhar University for Egypt and later go Oman for further studies.

E study under many scholars, including prominent clerics like Sheikh Alhassan Lamido and Sheikh Malam Usman Dangungu of Kaduna.

E start to preach at di age of 13, and dat mean say e spend more dan 30 years dey teach Islam, as im secretary, Dr Mustapha Haruna, confam to BBC.

Throughout im life, di cleric face different challenges as e dey carry out im preaching activities, including attempts to arrest am and repeated invitations from security agencies.

Dem also once jail am for nine months for one prison in Katsina State over one matter wey relate to im preaching.

Sheikh Masussuka dey practice and teach Tafseerul Qur'ani bil Qur'an, one method of interpreting di Qur'an wey focus completely on using passages from du Holy Qur'an to explain oda parts of di scripture.

For im public preachings, e dey critically examine some Hadith traditions. Dis uncommon position regularly bring am into serious debates and theological disagreements wit oda Islamic scholar groups for di region.

Apart from theology, e dey veri outspoken against violent extremism and radicalisation.

E openly advocate for interfaith dialogue and peaceful coexistence between Muslims and Christians.

Bicos of im consistent efforts for di community, Network for Good Governance and Transparency honour am wit one Peace Ambassador Award for June 2025.

Also bicos of im outspoken public positions, Sheikh Masussuka experience several cases of intimidation, criticism and social media insults.