At least 12 killed in Kano mosque attack

At least 12 people died in Kano on Wednesday after a mosque they were praying in was set ablaze, police said.

More than 40 others suffered injuries. The attack was reportedly carried out by a man named Shafiu Abubakar.

The attacker allegedly doused the mosque with gasoline, then locked the entrance to prevent anyone from escaping before setting it ablaze, the BBC reported.

A family dispute within Gadan village, reportedly over an inheritance, is believed to be the cause of the attack that occurred near Gezwa, Kano, early Wednesday.

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Witnesses said the trapped worshippers cried out after the attack as they desperately tried to escape through the locked doors.

Umar Mamman Sanda, the Deputy Inspector General of Police in charge of Zone 1 Kano, described the attack as “very unfortunate.”

“What happened is not associated with any act of terrorism, rather it was a skirmish that arose as a result of inheritance distribution. The suspect is presently with us and is giving out useful information,” he was quoted by the BBC as saying.

Police say additional injured people, including children, are still being treated at the hospital.

Initial reports said one worshipper had died from the attack but the death toll was later confirmed to have risen after more victims died while receiving treatment at the Murtala Muhammad Specialist Hospital in Kano.