An Islamic cleric based in Sokoto, Murtala Asada, known for his vocal criticism of terrorist leader Bello Turji, narrowly escaped an assassination attempt at his home in Sokoto weeks after praying for the death of the bandit leader.
AFRIPOST gathered that armed men wearing masks attacked Asada’s residence, but the cleric managed to fend them off using gunfire.
Musa Lukuwa, one of his associates, shared details of the incident during a sermon, revealing that the attack occurred on Tuesday night.
Lukuwa explained that one of the assailants climbed the fence of Asada’s compound to unlock the gate for others who arrived in vehicles.
However, the cleric, monitoring the attackers through his CCTV system, opened fire, forcing them to abandon their plan and flee.
Lukuwa also advised worshippers to legally acquire firearms for self-defense, following Asada’s example.
Additional accounts from Sokoto suggested that the attacker who scaled the fence attempted to harm the gateman but was thwarted by Asada’s quick response.
While no group has taken responsibility for the attack, tensions between Asada and Turji have escalated over recent months.
In September last year, Asada, in a widely circulated video, prayed for Turji’s demise, similar to that of his associate Halilu Sububu, who was killed by security forces.
In response, Turji released a video threatening to kill the cleric and accusing him of worsening the conflict rather than helping resolve it.
The Sokoto State police are reportedly analyzing CCTV footage of the incident, though the state’s police spokesperson