Cleric killed in Nigeria mosque
A prominent Islamic cleric has been shot dead inside a mosque in the northern Nigerian city of Kano. Ustaz Ja'afar Adam and two followers were killed during dawn prayers.
He was once a key member of the Kano State government but has fallen out with the governor. The killing could be political, or a dispute between sects.
The death comes as President Olusegun Obasanjo warned that the government will "deal firmly" with acts of fraud and violence in forthcoming elections.
In a national radio and TV broadcast, Mr Obasanjo said "highly placed individuals" were encouraging violence.
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Haruna Idris, one of Mr Adam's disciples, told the AFP news agency that gunmen had shot the cleric twice.
"The two assailants rushed out of the mosque and jumped into a car with a driver at the wheel and sped off," he said.
The biggest issue in the elections is the future of my children, the future of Nigeria's children
Thousands of people had gathered at the mosque, AFP reports.
Police spokesman Haz Iwendi told the BBC News website that the killing "would not endanger tomorrow's elections in Kano."
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