Violent clashes broke out across parts of the Sokoto metropolis on Monday, September 7, 2026, as youth groups loyal to Islamic cleric Dahiru Mai Barewa took to the streets to protest his ongoing court-ordered detention.
​Demonstrators erected makeshift road blockades, halted vehicular transit, and marched through key neighborhoods in the state capital to demand Mai Barewa’s immediate release.
Tensions mounted around midday when several protesters attempted to breach secure facilities to forcefully free the cleric from custody, prompting joint security forces to intervene with tear gas to restore order.
​The violent street action followed a fresh court order directing the re-arrest and remand of Mai Barewa, pending trial.
Criminal charges against the cleric stem from circulating social media videos in which he allegedly issued repeated death threats against two prominent Islamic scholars, Sheikh Musa Ayyuba Lukuwa and Malam Murtala Bello Assada.
Reports indicate Mai Barewa linked his statements against Sheikh Lukuwa to controversial remarks regarding the parents of Prophet Muhammad, alongside grievances directed at state religious authorities.
​Malam Murtala Bello Assada (Complainant) stated in preliminary filings that formal petitions were submitted to security agencies after Mai Barewa repeatedly threatened the scholars across multiple published video clips.
Youth representatives frame the demonstration as a demand for “justice and respect for the rule of law,” asserting that Mai Barewa’s continued detention is unfair and politically charged.
A senior security source confirmed that operatives stepped in after demonstrators attempted to forcefully break custody, warning citizens against vigilantism. Local community leaders added, “People should not take the law into their own hands. If there is a grievance, it must be addressed through legal channels.”
​Joint security teams cleared the barricades and restored normalcy to the metropolis by late Monday afternoon. Authorities maintain heightened patrols across strategic areas while urging residents to refrain from unlawful assemblies.
