The Federal Teaching Hospital, Katsina, confirmed on Thursday that no autopsy examination had been performed on the stays of Islamic cleric Sheikh Yahaya Masussuka, who was killed alongside a companion by gunmen in Dutsin-Ma three days earlier.
The stays had been embalmed and have been nonetheless within the mortuary forward of a funeral scheduled for Friday, 30 October.
Suleiman Abubakar, a longtime associate who witnessed the assault, described the capturing and the consultations amongst relations and elders that delayed the burial whereas investigations continued.
At the hospital
Yahaya Yahuza, the mortician in command of the hospital’s mortuary unit, advised PREMIUM TIMES throughout a go to on Thursday that Mr Masussuka’s stays arrived at roughly 2:20 a.m. on Tuesday.
He stated the physique was introduced by family members and that the cleric was already lifeless on arrival.
“No post-mortem was performed on him. Only embalming was done,” Mr Yahuza stated.
He confirmed that the stays have been nonetheless on the facility on Thursday and that family members had knowledgeable hospital officers of plans to gather them on Friday morning.
Asked why the burial had been delayed, Mr Yahuza stated he didn’t know.
“I don’t have information on that because his relatives are the ones who know the reason why they kept him up to this point,” he stated.
He additionally confirmed seeing wounds on the physique however declined to find out their trigger with out medical examination.
“There are wounds on his body. But the doctors are the ones to confirm what actually happened to him,” he stated.
Eyewitness recounts assault
Suleiman Abubakar, a longtime associate of Sheikh Masussuka, additionally spoke to PREMIUM TIMES on Thursday on the hospital’s mortuary, the place he was accompanied by the slain cleric’s secretary.
Mr Abubakar stated he had recognized Mr Masussuka for about 25 years as a pupil, pal and common driver.
On Monday night, he accompanied Mr Masussuka to supply condolences following the loss of life of the cleric’s father-in-law.
After returning and observing prayers, Mr Abubakar went house, promising to return at 8:30 p.m. to drive the cleric to a studio the place they repeatedly performed programmes.
“When I returned at 8:30 p.m., he heard my voice and asked, ‘Is Al-Sistani back?’ I said, ‘Yes, it’s me,’” he recalled.
The cleric then requested for the car keys, following their common routine.
Four folks have been getting ready for the journey: Mr Abubakar, a customer from Katsina who was already with him within the car, the cleric and Adamu Abubakar, a customer from Nasarawa State.
Mr Abubakar drove the car out of the compound and parked at his common spot. The cleric and Adamu then approached the car.
“I pressed the button to unlock the car so he could open the door and enter. Suddenly, I heard gunfire,” he stated.
“Gunfire was coming from different directions. The shooting went on, then stopped. After a while, it started again.”
When the capturing briefly subsided, Mr Abubakar ducked, acquired out of the car and crawled into an unfinished constructing adjoining the residence, the place he remained for about two minutes.
“Then I heard people crying — women, children and adults — saying, ‘Mallam has been shot! Mallam has been shot!’”
When he emerged, a crowd had gathered outdoors the residence.
“I went to look and saw him lying in a pool of blood,” he stated.
Mr Abubakar and a neighbour, Malam Ali, lifted the cleric into the car and drove in direction of the General Hospital in Dutsin-Ma.
They stopped briefly outdoors the residence of the cleric’s secretary, whose house was alongside the route, and requested him to affix them with out instantly explaining what had occurred.
At the hospital’s emergency division, the lads transferred the cleric onto a hospital mattress.
“Honestly, we could not see any sign that he was still alive. But since we are not medical professionals, the doctors told us to wait while they examined him,” Mr Abubakar stated.
After a short time, medical personnel returned with the information.
“They came out and told us, ‘You have to take heart. Mallam’s time has come,’” he recalled.
The General Hospital subsequently supplied an ambulance to convey the stays to Katsina, whereas a police space commander organized an escort, Mr Abubakar stated.
His account locations his return to the residence at about 8:30 p.m., shortly earlier than the capturing. The Katsina State Police Command’s preliminary account positioned the assault at about 7:30 p.m.
The distinction in timing stays unresolved.
Why the burial was delayed
Mr Abubakar stated relations and elders determined in opposition to a direct burial whereas consultations continued and the authorities investigated the killing.
“There is a reason, because we have elders ahead of us. The government is also aware of what happened, so we had to wait and hear what would be done,” he stated.
He stated safety personnel visited the residence and recovered spent ammunition casings close to its entrance.
“Since the authorities sent personnel who recovered ammunition casings at the entrance to the house, and investigations are ongoing, we could not rush things,” he stated.
PREMIUM TIMES has not independently confirmed the reported restoration with the police.
Mr Abubakar stated additional consultations produced an settlement to carry the funeral on Friday at roughly 2:30 p.m.
Funeral preparations
The funeral prayer was scheduled to happen at Kofar Soro, close to the Emir of Katsina’s palace, after Friday prayers.
A video announcement by the cleric’s associates on Thursday additionally confirmed the deliberate funeral in Katsina quite than Dutsin-Ma, the place the assault occurred.
Mr Abubakar rejected recommendations that the selection of Katsina was prompted by fears of additional violence.
“He had a home in Dutsin-Ma and another here in Katsina. In fact, his main home was in Katsina,” he stated.
“His family members are here. It is not because of fear.”
He additionally dominated out retaliation by the cleric’s associates.
“We have left this matter to God. We are not the kind of people who would seek revenge because something like this has happened,” he stated.
The assault additionally killed Adamu Abubakar, whom Mr Suleiman described as a pal of the cleric and a Friday mosque imam who lived in Lafia, Nasarawa State.
He stated Adamu Abubakar was initially from Bauchi State and had recognized Mr Masussuka since childhood. He was buried on Wednesday following discussions between his family members and the cleric’s associates.
Earlier threats and investigation
Mr Abubakar stated Mr Masussuka had obtained threats earlier than his killing and that associates reported such statements to the authorities once they grew to become conscious of them.
“Whenever we hear any statement that poses a threat, we go and inform the authorities. We don’t remain silent,” he stated.
He didn’t present dates or documentary data of the complaints and declined to accuse any particular person or organisation of finishing up the killing.
“We don’t suspect anyone,” he stated. “Even if someone says they will do something, that does not mean they actually did it.”
The armed group Ansaru claimed responsibility for the attack in a video previously reported by PREMIUM TIMES. The declare has not been independently verified as proof of the group’s involvement.
The Katsina State Police Command stated two gunmen driving a bike attacked the cleric and his companion outdoors the residence on Monday night. Commissioner of Police Ali Fage ordered the deployment of personnel to determine and apprehend the attackers.
President Bola Tinubu condemned the killings and directed security agencies to intensify their investigation.
The cleric’s former trainer, Yahaya Adam, had earlier appealed to followers to stay peaceable and chorus from retaliation, as PREMIUM TIMES reported in its account of the cleric’s final evening.
The police haven’t publicly clarified whether or not an autopsy was requested or what motion, if any, was taken on the threats described by Mr Abubakar.
Discover extra from Premium Times Nigeria
Subscribe to get the newest posts despatched to your e mail.
