FROM DAILY TRUST 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. Our reporter gathered that the preacher 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 respected Islamic scholar with his wife. When our report visited the scene of the killing on Shehu Idris Street, close to the residence of a former chairman of Ikara Local Government Area of Kaduna State, he saw blood stains on the spot and on the windscreen 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. Sunday Trust learnt further that after they were shot and their assailants had disappeared, a young man had gone to the scene to examine their condition, to discover that Sheikh Albani was still alive. The Good Samaritan was the one who took them to the hospital in Sheikh Albani’s car for emergency attention, but they couldn’t survive. Sunday Trust went to the prominent preacher’s school, Daru-l-Hadith, located also in Zaria, where his followers were seen bringing the remains of Sheikh Albani and his wife from the hospital. The scene of the killing is not far from the school and the preacher’s residence. Sunday Trust gathered that Sheikh Albani, who 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, was pronounced dead from gunshots at St Luke Hospital, Wusasa, in Zaria. As at the time of going to press, no leader of the Salafiyyas movement was ready to make any official statement on the killing. Also, our reporter learnt from the police in Kaduna State that they had launched an investigation into the killings, but no official statement had been issued. 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. In a previous interview, he had told Daily Trust that:“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. He left behind two wives and over 20 children.
Posted on: Sun, 02 Feb 2014 06:56:13 +0000
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