‘One killed, 24 injured’ as explosion hits mosque in Kano

At least one person was killed in an explosion that occurred on Wednesday morning at a mosque in Gadan village, Gezawa LGA of Kano.

Umar Sanda, an assistant inspector general of police (AIG) in charge of zone 1, said the victim was confirmed dead at the Murtala Muhammad Specialist Hospital in the state.

Sanda spoke when a delegation of security personnel, including the Kano commissioner of police and the director of the Department of State Service (DSS), visited the explosion victims at the hospital.

“What happened is not associated with any act of terrorism, but rather, it was a skirmish that arose as a result of inheritance distribution,” he said.

Also, in a statement on Wednesday, Abdullahi Kiyawa, the police spokesperson in Kano, said the explosion occurred at about 5:20am during the morning prayers.

Kiyawa said the injured victims were 20 male adults and four children.

“Today, 15/05/2024 at about 0520hrs, reports were received that there was an explosion at a mosque in Gadan village, Gezawa LGA, Kano state during “Subhi prayer, and that some people got injured,” the statement reads.

“On receipt of the report, the commissioner of police, Kano state command, CP Mohammed Usaini Gumel, FIPMA, psc, immediately deployed the command’s combined teams consisting of experts in Explosive Ordnance Disposal Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear (EOD-CBRN) led by CSP Haruna Isma’il and other crime-scene policemen led by divisional police officer (DPO), Gezawa division, CSP Haruna Iliya.

“The scene was cordoned off, and twenty-four (24) victims, including 20 male adults and 4 male children, were removed and rushed to Murtala Mohammed Specialist Hospital Kano, where they are currently receiving treatment.

“Forensic analysis at this preliminary stage revealed a suspected petrol explosion, for which a full investigation is ongoing.”

The police spokesperson said Shafi’u Abubakar has been arrested as the prime suspect behind the explosion.

“The principal suspect has been identified and arrested; he is Shafi’u Abubakar, aged 38, who said his action was purely in hostility following a prolonged family disagreement over the sharing of inheritance, of which those that he alleged to have cheated on him were in the mosque at that moment, and he did that for his voice to be heard,” he added.

The police spokesperson said the suspect is in custody and is currently undergoing an investigation.