At least 11 worshippers were killed and dozens injured in an attack on a mosque in Kano state’s Gezawa area in northern Nigeria, police reported.
The assailant allegedly doused the mosque with petrol, locked the doors, and set it on fire, trapping around 40 people inside during morning prayers on Wednesday.
Authorities revealed that the attack stemmed from a family inheritance dispute.
A 38-year-old suspect was arrested, with police confirming he confessed to targeting family members inside the mosque.
Kano local police chief Umar Sanda stated, “What happened is not associated with any act of terrorism, rather it was a skirmish that arose as a result of inheritance distribution.”
Residents described hearing worshippers wailing as they struggled to escape the flames.
Neighbors rushed to the scene after an explosion was heard, trying to help those trapped inside.
Rescue teams, including bomb experts, were deployed immediately, though police later confirmed no bomb was used in the attack.
Kano Fire Service spokesman Saminu Yusuf expressed frustration, stating they were not called until after locals had extinguished the fire.
“In a situation like this, people are supposed to call us but we didn’t get any call from the location until after normalcy had returned,” he told the media.
The initial death toll of one worshipper rose as more victims succumbed to their injuries while being treated at Murtala Muhammad Specialist Hospital.
Police reported that children were among those still receiving treatment.
Source-BBC
