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Sokoto Cleric Sheikh Murtala Bello Asada Accuses Authorities of Ignoring Death Threats Against Him

By Mustapha Bature Sallama
21 Aug 2026

A prominent Sokoto-based Islamic cleric, Sheikh Murtala Bello Asada, has publicly accused state authorities of deliberately disregarding death threats he says he is currently facing, in remarks aired by RFI Hausa. The cleric's statement is the latest flashpoint in a long-running standoff between him and security and political figures in Nigeria's North-West over his repeated allegations linking officials to banditry networks.

Who Is Sheikh Murtala Bello Asada

Sheikh Asada has built a reputation in Sokoto and across northern Nigeria as an outspoken critic of banditry and of officials he accuses of enabling it. He has been especially vocal against Bello Turji, a bandit warlord designated a terrorist by Nigerian authorities, and has repeatedly challenged official narratives around security incidents in the North-West.

In June 2026, he publicly disputed a Nigeria Police Force explanation that armed men filmed riding motorcycles in Katsina State were vigilantes rather than bandits, arguing the men's weapons and conduct suggested otherwise.

A Pattern of Threats Predating This Latest Claim

This is not the first time Sheikh Asada has said his life is at risk over his activism. In January 2025, he narrowly escaped an assassination attempt at his residence in Sokoto, an incident widely reported at the time as linked to his criticism of Bello Turji's network. His allegations have also extended to senior political figures: Nigeria's Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, has faced repeated accusations from the cleric of maintaining ties to bandit groups during his tenure as Zamfara State governor, including claims cited by activist Dantani in December 2025 that Matawalle distributed vehicles and supplies to armed groups and facilitated a bandit's release from police custody.

Matawalle has responded by filing a defamation suit against the cleric, a move critics have characterized as an attempt to silence him rather than an effort to publicly clear his name.

The New Claim

In the RFI Hausa clip circulating this week, Sheikh Asada states that Sokoto state authorities were aware of threats to his life and chose not to act on them. The full content of the interview beyond the headline claim could not be independently verified at the time of writing, and neither the Sokoto State Government nor police authorities had issued a public response as of press time.

Given the seriousness of the allegation and the cleric's history of conflict with state actors, any official reaction or its absence is likely to draw close attention from northern Nigeria's security-watching public.

Why It Matters

Sokoto and neighbouring Zamfara have for years sat at the centre of Nigeria's banditry crisis, with local clerics, journalists and community leaders frequently caught between armed groups and security forces accused of complicity or inaction.

Sheikh Asada's case a religious figure making repeated public allegations against a sitting federal minister while reporting credible threats to his own life sits squarely within that pattern, and adds to broader questions about the protection afforded to whistleblowers challenging Nigeria's security establishment.

Mustapha Bature Sallama medical Science communicator, Private Investigator, Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Analysis,United States Institute of Peace (USIP), mustysallama@gmail.com +233555275880

References

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