Prominent Anti-Boko Haram Islamic Scholar Shot Dead with Wife and Son in Zaria
A prominent Islamic scholar and leader of the Salafis movement in Nigeria, Sheikh Muhammad Auwal Adam Albani, was last night shot dead by gunmen in Zaria, Kaduna State. He died at the age of 54.
The killing took place at about 10.00pm last night. It was gathered that the respected Islamic scholar was returning to his house in Gaskiya area of Zaria after a preaching session at Markazul Salafiyya in Tudun Wada, when the assailants opened fire on him, killing the Islamic scholar with his wife and one of his sons.
A visit to the scene where the killing took place on Shehu Idris Street, blood stains were seen on the spot and on the wind screen of the vehicle in which he was killed with his wife.
One of his children, Abdullahi, was also killed. Two associates driving in the Hyndia bus with him were wounded.
The assailants disappeared immediately after the killings, a young man rushed to the scene of the incident to examine their condition, he reportedly discovered that Sheikh Albani was still alive. He rushed them to the hospital in Sheikh Albani’s car for emergency attention, but they couldn’t survive.
Sheikh Albani, is a known critic of the Boko Haram movement, and had variously said he advised the late Muhammed Yusuf against the critical doctrine on Western Education.
He was reported to have said “My belief is that Muslims must engage in the acquisition of western education known as ‘Boko’. If we can have youths that have mastered the jurisprudence of Islam, who are as well vast in western education, it is likely that in the future we would have leaders that would imbibe the fear of Allah in everything they do.
“It is this belief that made me to now go back to school to pursue my M.Sc. in Electrical and Electronic Engineering. I am doing this because I know that Islam needs this education that I am pursuing. For me, this is why Boko is compulsory on all Muslims.
“We have good example in the present leadership of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, where combination of Boko and Islamic education led to the emergence of good leaders. We now have a unique situation in ABU where the university is being driven by people who have the combination of Islamic and western education, and we are witnessing a significant change in the administration and development of the university. This is what Nigeria needs; leaders with fear of Allah,” Sheikh Albani said.
As at this morning, no leader of the Salafiyyas movement was ready to make any official statement on the killing. Also, no group has claimed responsibility for the killings.
However, elements close to Sheikh Albani said he would be buried according to Islamic rites later today.
Sheikh Albani, who has had a running battle even with the authorities, had claimed that the Muslim world required technological development in order to face current challenges.
