Controversial Islamic cleric shot dead in northern Nigeria
Yahaya Masussuka had posted videos in which he rejected some elements of mainstream Islam.
Controversial Islamic cleric shot dead in northern Nigeria
A controversial Islamic cleric in Nigeria was 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 bidding farewell to visitors on Monday evening, sources told the BBC.
The 47-year-old preacher and one of his guests, who was also shot, were taken to hospital, but both were declared dead by the attending doctor, police said.
It is not known why Masussuka was targeted, but the cleric had received death threats on social media, where he posted videos rejecting some parts of mainstream Islam, including beliefs about what happens to people after death.
Masussuka, however, based his teachings largely on what is in Islam's holy book, questioned some hadiths, and did not believe that the dead were resurrected and questioned.
He was once jailed for nine months after mocking some respected scholars over their belief in this hadith and other teachings.
Masussuka, who had two wives and seven children, started preaching at the age of 13 in Quranic schools.
He later studied at Al-Azhar University in Egypt and then went to Oman for further studies.
At his home, he had a studio where he recorded videos of his teachings for broadcast on social media to his followers.
The cleric was also vocal about violent extremism and radicalisation, and openly supported 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 Masussuka's 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 killed over the past two decades in northern Nigeria, with several targeted by Boko Haram for criticising the jihadist group that launched its insurgency in 2009.
Founded in north-eastern Nigeria, it opposes Western culture, education and the secular government, and its political aim is the creation of an Islamic state.