Gunmen on Motorbike Kill Controversial Nigerian Islamic Cleric Who Received Death Threats Over His Teachings

A controversial Islamic cleric in Nigeria has been murdered outside his home in the northern state of Katsina.

Two assailants arrived on a motorcycle and shot Yahaya Masussuka in the town of Dutsin-Ma as he was saying goodbye to visitors on Monday evening.

The 47-year-old preacher and one of his guests, who was also shot, were rushed to hospital but both were pronounced dead by the attending doctor, police said.

It is not clear why Masussuka was targeted, but the cleric had received death threats on social media, where he posted videos rejecting some elements of mainstream Islam—including what happens to people after death.

Why he was controversial

It is widely believed in Islam that a person's soul will be questioned in the grave by two angels. If they answer correctly, the soul sleeps peacefully until the Day of Judgement; if not, it will be tormented. This understanding comes from the Hadith, a collection of texts believed to record the spoken words and actions of the Prophet Muhammad, which serves as a key source for interpreting the Quran.

Masussuka based his teachings mainly on the Quran itself, questioned some of the hadiths, and did not believe the dead were reawakened and questioned. He was once jailed for nine months after teasing respected scholars over their belief in this hadith and other teachings.

From Quranic school to Al-Azhar

Masussuka, who had two wives and seven children, began preaching at the age of 13 in Quranic schools. He later attended Al-Azhar University in Egypt and went to Oman for further studies. At his home, he kept a studio where he recorded videos of his teachings for broadcast on social media to his followers.

The cleric was also outspoken about violent extremism and radicalisation, and openly advocated for interfaith dialogue and peaceful coexistence between Muslims and Christians, who make up nearly equal parts of Nigeria's population. Thousands of Christians and Muslims have been killed in ethnic and religious violence in the country over the past 25 years.

For his efforts, Nigeria's Network for Good Governance and Transparency honoured him with a Peace Ambassador Award last year.

Six other prominent Muslim preachers have been murdered over the last two decades in northern Nigeriaseveral targeted by Boko Haram for criticising the jihadist group, which began its insurgency in 2009 and seeks to create an Islamic state.