Death toll of arsonist's attack on Nigerian mosque rises to 11

ABUJA - At least five more people have died following a suspected arson attack on a local mosque in Nigeria's northern state of Kano, the police said Thursday while confirming a rise in the death toll from six to 11.

Victims sustained varying degrees of burn and were rushed to a hospital for treatment after the incident Wednesday morning in Gadan village of the Gezawa local government area, Usaini Gumel, the police chief in Kano, earlier told Xinhua by telephone.

The death toll rose Thursday morning when more injured victims died in a local hospital, Abdullahi Kiyawa, the police spokesman in that state, told reporters Thursday afternoon. Thirteen more victims are still being treated at the hospital.

A 38-year-old man identified as Shafi'u Abubakar has been arrested as the suspected arsonist, the police said, noting that the suspect allegedly used petrol to ignite the fire, which set the worshipers ablaze during dawn prayers at the mosque.

The police have started an investigation into the incident, but a preliminary probe revealed the motive behind the attack was "a family conflict over inheritance sharing". - BERNAMA