A 28-year-old Shafi’u Aminu has reportedly set fire to a mosque in Larabar Abasawa, a community in the Gezawa local government area of Kano state during the early morning ‘Subh’ prayer,
Eyewitnesses recounted the harrowing scene as Aminu poured fuel inside the mosque and then locked the doors, trapping worshippers inside.
The incident unfolded on Wednesday, leaving the community in shock and disbelief.Kamal, one of the victims, recounted his desperate attempts to escape the engulfing flames but found the exit door securely locked.
He revealed that Aminu had a history of violent behavior in the village, including brandishing a machete and making threats.
Authorities had previously arrested him and sent him for a mental health evaluation.
This recent act of arson was not an isolated incident.
Aminu had previously set fire to his brother’s car and attacked him with a cutlass, raising concerns among villagers.
Yet, no decisive action had been taken.”When the fire broke out during morning prayers, it was the latecomers who managed to break down the door and rescue those trapped inside,” Kamal stated.
About 29 worshippers sustained serious injuries and were rushed to the Murtala Muhammad Specialist Hospital in Kano.
Zabiya Ibrahim, whose three uncles were among the victims, called for justice, emphasizing that Aminu’s actions were deliberate and not the result of mental illness.
“He knows how to make money,” she said, referring to his involvement in riding a popular local tricycle.
Ibrahim urged the government to hold him accountable for this reckless act.
PLATFORM TIMES gathered that Aminu voluntarily surrendered to the police after the arson.
According to Shafi’u’s roommate, Rabi’u Ado, Shafi’u is not mentally ill.
The family issue revolves around discussions over inheritance—the properties left by his late father.
However, family members assert that Shafi’u has no share in the estate because his father left nothing behind before his passage. Instead, the property in question belongs to his grandfather.
Shafi’u’s uncles initially informed him that he had no entitlement to the property left by his grandfather.
According to Islamic law, any child who dies before his father does not inherit from the family estate.
Despite being allocated a farm by his uncles, Shafi’u persisted in his dispute.
His sister, Shafa’atu Aminu, believes that her brother is experiencing spiritual problems and recalls consulting a native doctor who confirmed this.
While lacking detailed information about the inheritance issue due to her absence from the house for several years, she acknowledges hearing about it.
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