In brief
Former preacher Yahaya Masussuka was shot dead in the Katsina town of Dutsin-Ma on Monday. The gunmen followed death threats linked to his rejection of certain hadith teachings. He had been a vocal advocate for interfaith dialogue and received a peace award in 2025. His death underscores the volatile mix of religious extremism and political unrest in northern Nigeria.
Assassination of outspoken cleric highlights growing tensions in Nigeria
Yahaya Masussuka, 47, was murdered outside his home in the northern state of Katsina on Monday evening. Two assailants on a motorcycle shot him while he was saying goodbye to visitors in the town of Dutsin-Ma, police reported.
Masussuka was a controversial figure, known for rejecting some mainstream Islamic teachings from the Hadith and for asserting that the dead are not questioned after death. This view, mixed with his vocal stance against radicalisation and open support for inter‑faith dialogue, earned him death threats posted on social media.
He also supported the Peace Ambassador initiative of Nigeria’s Network for Good Governance and Transparency, receiving a peace award in 2025 for his efforts to promote coexistence between Muslims and Christians.
The killing reflects a broader pattern of violence against progressive clerics in northern Nigeria. Over the past two decades, six other prominent Muslim preachers have been murdered, with several targeted by the jihadist group Boko Har for criticism of its ideology.
Masussuka’s murder raises urgent questions about the security of religious leaders who challenge established doctrines in a region that has witnessed growing sectarian conflict, including the mass killings of Christians and Muslims in the last 25 years.
