The Nigerian Police, Kano State Command has confirmed the arrest of a 38-year-old Shafi’u Abubakar, who set a mosque ablaze and trapped worshipers inside the building at Laraba Abasawa in Gezawa local government area of the state on Wednesday morning.

24 persons out of the trapped 40 worshippers, who were praying at the time of the attack, suffered different degrees of burns.

The rescued victims were later rushed to the Murtala Muhammad Specialist Hospital in Kano, where they were receiving treatment.

The State’s Police Command’s spokesperson, SP Haruna Kiyawa, who disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday, said Shafi’u willingly submitted himself to the Police after committing the act.

Shafi’u told the Police that he set the mosque on fire out of provocation and to attack those who allegedly cheated him while sharing family inheritance, who were all present in the mosque at the time of the attack.

“The principal suspect has been identified and arrested, he is Shafi’u Abubakar aged 38 years who said his action was purely in hostility following prolonged family disagreement over sharing of inheritance of which those that he alleged to have cheated on him were in the mosque at that moment and he did that for his voice to be heard.

“While the suspect is currently in police custody, detailed investigation is ongoing and will be made public in due course,” the PPRO stated in the statement.

LEADERSHIP earlier reported that the bizarre attack occurred while worshippers were observing the early morning prayer.

Shafi’u used petrol to ignite the fire, trapping approximately 40 worshippers inside the mosque by locking the door of the building to prevent them from escaping the inferno.

A member of the community, who pleaded not to be mentioned, said it took some time for people outside to become aware of the incident and rescue those trapped inside.