Nigerian Army troops have begun a search for the gunmen suspected of killing Sheikh Yahaya Ibrahim Masussuka, a well-known Islamic scholar, in Dutsin-Ma Local Government Area of Katsina State, as President Bola Tinubu ordered security agencies to identify, arrest and prosecute those behind the attack.
Attack and security response
- On the evening of Monday, October 26, 2026, two armed men travelling on a motorcycle allegedly shot at Masussuka and his associate, Adamu Abubakar, outside the cleric’s home in Dutsin-Ma.
- The attackers escaped from the scene after firing their weapons, while both men were left with critical gunshot injuries.
- Masussuka and Abubakar were transported to hospital, where health workers pronounced both victims dead.
- Soldiers from the Nigerian Army’s 17 Brigade, operating alongside other security services, launched efforts to locate and detain the suspects who fled following the shooting.
- Tinubu instructed the police and other relevant agencies to step up their investigation and ensure that those responsible are brought before the courts.
Army outreach
Major General Abubakar Sadiq Mohammed Wase, the General Officer Commanding of the Nigerian Army’s 1 Division, travelled to Dutsin-Ma to deliver the Chief of Army Staff’s condolences to the family of the slain scholar and to his followers.
Wase called on residents to remain peaceful and comply with the law while security agencies continue their investigation into the killings.
