The police command in Kano State, has confirmed the arrest of the principal suspect behind the early morning mosque explosion in Gadan village in Gezawa Local Government Area of the state.

The state Commissioner of Police, Mr Usaini Gumel, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in a telephone interview on Wednesday that a 38 year- old- man Shafi’u Abubakar, had been arrested over the incident.

He said that the suspect had confessed to attacking the mosque because of a long-standing family dispute over inheritance sharing.

“On May 15, 2024, at about 5:20 a.m. the police received a report of an explosion at a mosque in Gadan Village during the dawn prayer, leaving several people injured.

“Promptly, a team of security personnel, including experts in Explosive Ordnance Disposal Chemical Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear (EOD-CBRN), were deployed to the scene.

“Twenty-four victims, including 20 males and four children, who sustained various degrees of injuries were rushed to Murtala Mohammed Specialist Hospital Kano for treatment, ” he said.

The CP said that preliminary forensic analysis indicated that the explosion was caused by a petrol bomb and a detailed investigation was ongoing. He also confirmed the death of one of the affected worshippers.

His words: “What happened is not associated with any act of terrorism but rather, it was a skirmish that aroused as a result of inheritance distribution.

“The suspect was said to be not satisfied with the distribution … and was reacting to that. He is presently with us and is giving out useful information. Out of the 24 that were admitted here, one is dead. It is really unfortunate. He used a locally made bomb to commit the crime.”

He said the police were continuing with investigations and would release further details in due course. Largely based on a NAN report)

Update news