By Sam Ramos
Authorities are investigating the fatal shooting of an Islamic preacher and newly licensed teacher outside an academic institution in Barangay Inug-ug on Wednesday afternoon.
Major John Arvin Cambang, chief of the Pikit Municipal Police Station, identified the victim as Ustadz Yasser Mama Abdullah, a part-time teacher at Noorul Eilm Academy Foundation Inc. Abdullah also served as the treasurer of Barangay Macabual in Tugunan town, located in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao’s Special Geographic Area (SGA-BARMM).
The shooting occurred around 3:30 p.m. just outside the academy’s annex. Abdullah sustained gunshot wounds to the head and was rushed to Cruzado Medical Hospital, where he was declared dead on arrival. Following Islamic tradition, he was buried shortly after.
Abdullah had recently achieved a milestone by passing the Licensure Examination for Teachers (LET), with the results released on December 13.
Police said two unidentified suspects carried out the attack. While authorities are pursuing multiple angles, no clear motive has yet been established, and the identities of the assailants remain unknown.
Cambang noted that investigators are exploring several leads but have not linked the incident to the killing of two senior high school students from the same academy earlier this month. The students were shot in a separate incident near Barangay Inug-ug on December 3.