A gang of armed men that Saturday night killed the leader of Sallafiyah in Zaria, Kaduna State, Sheik Muhammad Awwal Adam, popularly known as “Albani Zaria” trailed him and his family from his Tudun Wada school in Zaria, Kaduna State, a family source had revealed.
The source who spoke to SaharaReporters said the Islamic scholar was en route his home in Tudun Jukun area when the suspected terrorists shot him, his wife and son at about 10pm.
The cleric’s wife died on the spot, while Sheikh Albani Zaria was rushed to the nearby St. Luke’s Hospital where he was declared dead.
Narrating how the incident occurred, the relation, Mallam Muhammad Kabir, said, “What we can’t deduce is why he was trailed from his Tudun Wada school on his way to his home in Tudun Jukun area. It was around 10pm, they opened fire on his car, the wife and the son died on the spot. They then pulled him out of the car and shot him several times because we found his body on the ground riddled with bullets and soaked in blood. They escaped after carrying out the act.”
“Albani was a peace loving man and who was interested in deep knowledge and scholarship, who ran two schools, one is the Darul Sallafiya and another- Albani Science Academy, all in Zaria. He believed in the superiority of knowledge and research as a guiding light of Islam, contrary to some shallow doctrines,” he said
Albani, his wife and son, were buried yesterday in their hometown with thousands in attendance.
In October, 2012, Albani, a fearless preacher, when asked whether he is not scared for his life with regards to his anti-Boko Haram stand, said, “We are not in any way afraid of any intimidation. We are only afraid of God. We have no any sinister plans against anyone in our minds and schedules; all we are doing is serving God and nothing more than that.
“We are not against anyone, but anybody that wants to intimate us should go ahead and see the wrath of God. We are not organization but just teaching and learning, you cannot compare us with those bothered about assuming leadership and followers. We do not have that in our setting.”
Appeal for calm
Meanwhile, an Islamic cleric, Musa Mai-Shawi, has cautioned against reprisal attack following the assassination of a popular scholar.
Speaking in Zaria during the funeral prayer, Mai-Shawi said the plea became necessary in view of the tension caused by the sudden death of the popular cleric.
Mai-Shawi, who is the chief Imam of Darul Hadith, a school established by the deceased, said although the death of Albani was painful, everything should be left to God.
“There are no two ways about it, everybody is aggrieved about this sad development. However, I urge you to take heart and leave everything to God. God Almighty be my witness and you people around here be my witnesses, that I have conveyed the message,” he said.
He cautioned against revenge “by any means”.
“Malam is already dead and no action will bring him back. God knows who are behind his brutal killing and He knows how to deal with them,” he said.
News Agency of Nigeria reports that the funeral prayer was led by Musa Maikwano-Gusau, while final interment took place at Dambo graveyard, Jos road, in Zaria.
Albani was a fiery preacher of the Salafi school of thought, which believes in the strict observance of the Quran and Sunnah (way of life of Prophet Muhammad SAW).
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