Ansaru claims responsibility for killing of Katsina cleric, Sheikh Masusuka

Jama’atu Ansarul Muslimina Fi Biladis Sudan, popularly known as Ansaru, has claimed responsibility for the killing of Katsina-based Islamic cleric, Sheikh Yahaya Masusuka, PREMIUM TIMES can report.

The cleric was shot dead alongside another man, identified by police as Adamu Abubakar, outside his residence on Monday evening.

The Katsina State Police Command said two armed men riding on a motorcycle opened fire on the two at about 7:30 p.m. before fleeing the scene.

The victims were rushed to a nearby hospital, where they were pronounced dead, according to the police.

The command said it had launched an investigation and deployed tactical and operational teams to track down the assailants.

Mr Masusuka was known for his Quran-centred teachings and advocacy for peaceful coexistence among Nigerians of all faiths. He had also spoken against violent extremism and radicalisation.

Amnesty International condemned his killing and called on Nigerian authorities to investigate the attack and bring those responsible to justice. The organisation also said the cleric had faced threats and intimidation during his life.

In a four-minute video exclusively obtained by PREMIUM TIMES on Tuesday, the terror group said its fighters killed Mr Masusuka around 8:30 pm, citing his interfaith peaceful coexistence, among other things, as reasons for his killing.

Describing the deceased as an arnai (infidel), the group said it was “happy” to announce his killing, which was carried out by “soldiers among soldiers of Allah.”

“Masusuka is an (arnai) infidel, not a Muslim,” the group said. “He was contracted to disrupt Islam and confuse Muslims.”

Ansaru said Mr Masusuka had been invited by [clerics] for a mukabala (debate), but he declined.

The group also issued a warning to “other infidels” who “belittle the Hadiths of the Prophet.

“You should repent. You should stop, or else we are coming for you,” it said.

This development is disturbing, said Taiwo Adebayo, a conflict and security governance researcher with Institute of Security Studies (ISS) Africa.

“This means these are not just a territorial threat as they can track and kill those who don’t agree with their ideology or who they consider threats even if those targets live far away from their bases,” he said.

PREMIUM TIMES understands that Ansaru now operates in Nigeria’s North-central region, years after relocating from the North-west.

The group has faced several crackdowns by Nigerian authorities, most recently the arrests of its leaders, Abu Bara’a and Mallam Mamuda.

The group did not mention those involved in the attack. However, it is unlikely that it would mobilise fighters from its Nigeria-Benin border enclaves for the killing.

“It’s also possible that they outsource the assassination or intelligence gathering leading to the Sheikh to local bandits,” Mr Adebayo said.

“In the early days of Boko Haram insurgency, they operated like this, sending, ordering hits on clerics and political figures in towns, while hiding in the bush,” he added.