JIBWIS takes on Sheikh Dan Gungun over allegation linked to Masussuka killing
Katsina (Nigeria) – The Incorporated Trustees of Jama’atu Izalatil Bid’a wa’iqamatis Sunnah (JIBWIS) have demanded a public retraction and apology from Sheikh Usman Dan Gungun over an alleged statement linking the association to the killing of Islamic cleric Sheikh Yahaya Ibrahim Masussuka.
The demand, contained in a letter dated November 2, 2026, and issued through its solicitors, Umar Attorneys, also requires Sheikh Dan Gungun, a prominent Islamic scholar and teacher based in Kaduna, Nigeria to desist from making or circulating further statements attributing the killing to the association without substantiated evidence.
The lawyers said their client’s attention had been drawn to a statement allegedly published on Sheikh Dan Gungun’s Facebook page on October 26, 2026, in which he reportedly attributed the killing of Sheikh Masussuka on the same day to JIBWIS, claiming that the association had accomplished what it had been planning.
JIBWIS described the allegation as “extremely serious, false, malicious and injurious” to its collective reputation, integrity and public standing.
The association said the allegation portrayed it as being responsible for a grave criminal act “without established proof”.
The solicitors consequently demanded that Sheikh Dan Gungun immediately and publicly retract the allegation and issue an “unreserved public apology” to the association through the same media platforms or channels used to make the alleged statement.
They further demanded that he “cease and desist from making or circulating any further statements” attributing the killing to the association without substantiated evidence.
The letter gave Sheikh Dan Gungun seven days from the date of receipt to comply with the demands, warning that failure would compel the association to institute appropriate legal proceedings to protect its reputation and pursue available legal remedies.
“TAKE NOTICE that you are hereby given seven (7) days from the date of receipt of this letter to comply with the above demands,” the letter stated.
It warned that the association would institute legal proceedings against him without further notice if he failed to comply.
The demand follows the killing of Sheikh Masussuka, who was shot by gunmen on motorcycles at Dutsin-Ma in Katsina State on October 26, alongside an associate, Adamu Abubakar. The cleric later died at a hospital.
He was buried on October 31 following funeral prayers at the Emir’s Palace, with large crowds gathering to pay their last respects.
The killing generated controversy after an audio message attributed to Ansaru, an armed extremist group, claimed responsibility for the attack.
The cleric’s family, however, initially rejected the group’s claim. His successor, Abdurrashid Abdulkarim, questioned the authenticity of the audio message, citing inconsistencies in its account of the day of the killing.
Ansaru subsequently released a video in which it again claimed responsibility for the assassination and attempted to justify the killing through religious arguments.
The group’s claims have not, however, independently established the circumstances or responsibility for the attack.
The controversy has heightened tensions surrounding the cleric’s killing, particularly amid allegations against JIBWIS, which has rejected any involvement.
The legal demand letter was signed by Ibrahim Umar Abere, Esq., of Umar Attorneys, on behalf of the association.
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