Sokoto Mosque Attack Fuels Fears of Rising Islamophobia in Nigeria

Gunmen kill 15 worshippers in Sokoto mosque, Plateau mob targets wedding guests, and assaults on women in hijab fuel fears of deepening Islamophobia

By Abdullahi Yusuf

At least 15 worshippers were killed during afternoon prayers in Nigeria’s Sokoto State on Tuesday, in what residents described as a brazen attack by suspected members of the Lakurawa group. The massacre, which took place in Kwalajiya village, Tangaza Local Government Area, has heightened fears of a surge in targeted violence against Muslim communities in parts of the country.

Survivors recounted how dozens of armed men stormed the mosque around 2:00 p.m. and opened fire indiscriminately on those gathered for Zuhr (afternoon) prayers. “They came in large numbers and shot at worshippers and farmers nearby,” said a community leader who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Local sources suggest the attack may have been triggered by the recent deaths of three Lakurawa members, including a senior figure, during an earlier failed assault on the community. Tensions had also flared after village leaders reportedly warned against intermarriage with the armed group, further inflaming resentment.

Beyond the killings, the assailants burned farmland, destroyed homes, and torched the local telecommunications mast, effectively cutting off mobile communication in the area. “They left the women unharmed but killed our men and wiped out food supplies and shops,” another resident said.

While the Sokoto State Police Command confirmed the attack, officials said casualty figures were still being verified. However, community members reported burying 15 victims on Wednesday, with seven others hospitalized for gunshot wounds.

The Sokoto massacre comes on the heels of another deadly assault in Plateau State, where 12 Muslim travelers from Zaria were ambushed and killed on June 20 while en route to a wedding in Qua’an Pan Local Government Area.

According to survivors, the group of 31 passengers in an 18-seater bus was attacked near Mangu LGA after asking for directions. “We were surrounded by a mob shouting for our deaths,” recounted Ibrahim Umar, one of the few who escaped. The assailants reportedly beat passengers, killed the driver, and set the bus ablaze with bodies inside.

These attacks have sparked outrage among Muslim groups and rights advocates. The Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI), led by the Sultan of Sokoto, condemned what it described as “premeditated and coordinated violence” against Muslims in several Nigerian states.

In a strongly worded statement, JNI’s Secretary-General Professor Khalid Abubakar Aliyu criticized government inaction: “Condemnations alone are not enough. Justice delayed is justice denied. The perpetrators of these heinous acts must be brought to book.”

The group also referenced longstanding grievances in Plateau State, citing the demolition of a Jumu’ah mosque in Mangu and a two-decade-long resistance to rebuilding the Central Mosque in Langtang North as evidence of entrenched religious intolerance.

Elsewhere in Nigeria, other disturbing incidents have underscored growing concerns over Islamophobia. In Ondo State’s Oke Agbe Akoko, traditional masqueraders attacked a mosque and the home of a Chief Imam on June 12, assaulting his wives and children. Rights group MURIC described the attack as “barbaric,” questioning why local police have yet to arrest those responsible.

In Lagos and Oyo States, Muslim women have been subjected to violent harassment. A pregnant woman was beaten and stripped of her niqab in an Ibadan market, while in Lagos, an asthmatic woman was assaulted by a naval officer for refusing to remove her veil. “These are hate crimes, plain and simple,” said Barrister Mutiat Orolu-Balogun of the Hijab Rights Advocacy Initiative (HRAI).

HRAI has demanded swift prosecution of offenders, warning that a culture of impunity risks emboldening further attacks on Muslim women and girls.

The string of incidents has left many in Nigeria’s Muslim community fearful and angry, with increasing calls for decisive action from federal and state authorities.

“Government at all levels must go beyond rhetoric,” JNI warned. “Without justice, these cycles of violence will only deepen divisions in our country.”

Interior ministry officials have yet to issue a comprehensive statement addressing the attacks.

As communities in Sokoto and Plateau bury their dead, religious leaders and civil society groups are urging Nigerians to reject sectarian violence and push for accountability.

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