A Muslim cleric in northern Nigeria who used his voice to urge peaceful coexistence between Muslims and Christians has been shot dead, and an extremist group has claimed responsibility for the killing.

Sheikh Yahaya Ibrahim Masussuka and his friend, Adamu Abubakar, were killed on Monday evening, October 26, in Dutsin-Ma Local Government Area of Katsina state. According to International Christian Concern, two armed men riding a motorcycle opened fire on the men outside the cleric's residence and then fled. The Nigeria Police in Katsina confirmed the killing.

Masussuka had used social media to share Islamic teachings in the Hausa language, which is widely spoken across northern Nigeria. In some of his videos, he called on Muslims to stop describing Christians as infidels and urged followers of both religions to live together peacefully. His message stood against religious hostility at a time when Christian communities in parts of Nigeria continue to face deadly attacks from armed extremist groups.

The group Ansaru subsequently claimed responsibility for the shooting in an audio message released Tuesday, October 27, accusing Masussuka of being an infidel and opposing Islam. The group said in the message that it attacked at about 8:30 p.m., although the deaths were reported to have occurred on Monday evening. The claim has not been independently verified by authorities, and no arrests have been reported.

Ansaru, formerly known as Jama'atu Ansarul Muslimina Fi Biladis Sudan, is a Nigerian jihadist organization that emerged as a breakaway faction of Boko Haram around 2012. The group has longstanding links to al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb and has been associated with kidnappings, hostage killings, and attacks on security personnel. The United States designated Ansaru a Foreign Terrorist Organization in 2013.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu condemned the killings in a statement issued on Tuesday, October 27, by his special adviser on information and strategy, Bayo Onanuga. Tinubu described the killings as heinous and an assault on the values of peace and the sanctity of human life. He extended condolences to the victims' families, the cleric's followers, and the government and people of Katsina state, and he directed the Nigeria Police Force and other security agencies to intensify efforts to track down the perpetrators and bring them to justice.

For Christians who heard his teachings, Masussuka's appeal for coexistence offered a reminder that resistance to religious hatred can also come from within the Muslim community. His killing raises hard questions about whether those who challenge extremist interpretations of religion can safely express their views in a country where armed groups have targeted churches, Christian communities, and Muslim civilians alike.

Authorities now face the task of establishing exactly who carried out the shooting, determining whether Ansaru's claim is credible, and ensuring that those responsible are prosecuted. Two families are grieving, and a community is seeking answers about why the men were killed.