An Islamic cleric, Malam Musa Lukwa, was stabbed shortly after leading the Friday prayer at his mosque in Mabera area of Sokoto metropolis on Friday.
The spokesman of the Sokoto State Police Command, DSP Ahmad Rufa’i, confirmed the incident to newsmen in Sokoto.
Rufa’i said the cleric was stabbed twice in the neck and taken to the Specialist Hospital, Sokoto, where he was receiving treatment and responding to it.
He said the suspected attacker was killed by the cleric’s followers after the incident, adding that no arrest had been made in connection with the ensuing violence.
According to him, the command had deployed security personnel to prevent the situation from escalating.
He said investigation was ongoing to establish the circumstances surrounding the attack and identify those involved.
The incident was reportedly linked to a previous sermon by the cleric which some Islamic scholars and their followers considered offensive to the parents of Prophet Muhammad.
A man identified as Mai Barewa had allegedly threatened the cleric and one of his senior students over the sermon.
He was subsequently arrested and arraigned before a court, with the case reportedly ongoing.
The cleric and his followers were also said to have written to the Sokoto State Government four days before the attack, expressing concern over the threats against them.
Following the incident, some youths reportedly protested in parts of the metropolis, including Sahara, Bello Way and Aliyu Jodi.
The development caused some shop owners to close their businesses, while security operatives were deployed to strategic locations to maintain law and order.
The police urged residents to remain calm and avoid taking the law into their own hands.