Ansaru Claims Responsibility for the Killing of Malam Yahaya Masussuka Ansaru, the Boko Haram faction affiliated to Al-Qaeda has claimed responsibility for the killing of Malam Yahaya Masussuka, accusing him of being an infidel. The group confirmed its responsibility for the killing in an audio message released today. In the recording, Ansaru said it carried out the attack at around 8:30 p.m. The speaker stated that the attack took place on Tuesday, but this may have been a mistake, as the incident occurred on Monday. Ansaru accused Sheikh Yahaya Masussuka of opposing Islam but did not specify any particular offence he had committed. However, it condemned Masussuka's stance of promoting dialogue between followers of different religions and peaceful coexistence and indicated that this is why they attacked him. Ansaru broke away from Boko Haram in 2012 following disagreements with the leadership of Abubakar Shekau. Since then, the group has operated mainly in northwestern Nigeria, including Zamfara, Kaduna and Niger states. It is not surprising that Ansaru has targeted Masussuka, given that Malam Masussuka was preparing to organise a major peace conference. This may have been one of the reasons he became a target, considering the group’s opposition to peace and peaceful coexistence among followers of different religions.