In the Gezawa area of Kano State, it was reported that on Wednesday, 15 March 2024, a resident set a mosque on fire at 05:20 hours.
It was gathered that A 38-year-old man identified as Shafi’u Abubakar,while worshipers were having their ‘Subhi’ prayers which holds early in the morning, locked up the mosque from the outside and lit a fire after pouring petrol.
After being apprehended as a principal suspect, Mr Abubakar confessed that he committed the dastardly act as a result of being cheated out of a family inheritance. He also said that those who cheated him were in the mosque as at the time of the incident. In his defense, he said he went to such length to ensure that he voice was heard.
The spokesperson of the Kano State Police Command, SP Abdullahi Haruna, said that no death has been recorded so far. He however noted that twenty-four (24) victims, including 20 male adults and 4 male children, were rescued and rushed to Murtala Mohammed Specialist Hospital Kano, where they are currently receiving treatment and that the scene of the incident has been cordoned off.
The spokesman said the rescue attempt was successful because after reports of the explosion at the mosque, the Commissioner of Police, Kano State Command, CP Mohammed Usaini Gumel, immediately deployed the command’s combined teams consisting of experts in Explosive Ordnance Disposal Chemical Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (EOD-CBRN) led by CSP Haruna Isma’il and other Crime-Scene Policemen led by Divisional Police Officer (DPO), Gezawa Division, CSP Haruna Iliya.
SP Haruna stated that the suspect is currently in custody and full details of the incident will be made available to the public after the ongoing investigation.