The police say 11 people have died in the incident.

The death toll from Wednesday's attack on a mosque at Gadan, a community in Gezawa Local Government Area of Kano State, has risen to 11, the police and residents of the area have said.

Residents said they buried at least 11 victims of the attack, mostly aged persons.

A resident of the community, Shafi'u Abubakar, had sprayed the mosque with fuel, locked worshippers inside and set it ablaze. The police initially said Mr Abubakar used a petrol bomb, but locals believed no explosive device was involved.

PREMIUM TIMES reported that one person died while on admission at the Murtala Muhammad Specialists Hospital following the incident that affected almost 40 people, including children.

The police spokesperson in Kano, Abdullahi Kiyawa, told our reporter on Thursday that 11 victims of the attack had died as of that morning.

Mr Kiyawa said 13 more victims were receiving treatment at the Murtala Muhammad Specialists Hospital.

The police arrested Mr Abubakar immediately after the incident early Wednesday morning.

The state commissioner of police, Usaini Gumel, earlier told reporters that Mr Abubakar, 38, had told investigators that he targeted the worshippers over a family dispute over the sharing of an inheritance.

Residents who spoke to PREMIUM TIMES Thursday afternoon feared that the casualty figures could rise judging by the severity of the injuries of those in hospital.