Court Sentences Two Men to Death for Killing Woman, her Six Children in Kano

The Kano high court has sentenced Umar Auwalu, and Yakubu Dayyabu to death by hanging for the murder of Fatima Abubakar, a 35-year-old woman, and her six children at Dorayi Chiranchi quarters in Kano.

Nasiru Saminu, the presiding judge, convicted the two men on Friday of a nine-count charge bothering on conspiracy, culpable homicide, and armed robbery.

According to NAN, the judge discharged and acquitted Isyaku Yakubu, the third defendant in the case.

THE CASE

During the trial, Abdulkarim Kabiru-Maude, the Kano attorney-general and commissioner for justice, told the court that the offences were committed on January 17, 2026.

Kabiru-Maude said the defendants, armed with sticks, an iron rod and a sharp cutlass, invaded Fatima’s house at Dorayi Chiranchi quarters and robbed her of N200,000.

“In the process, the defendants hit Fatima with a stick and iron rod on her neck and hit her with a sewing machine on her head which killed her,” the Kano attorney-general told the court.

He added that Auwalu and Dayyabu stabbed Fatima’s six children, including a toddler, with a knife and a cutlass, killing them.

He identified the six children as Maimuna, (17), Aisha (16), Bashir (13), Abubakar (10), Faruk (7), and Abdulsalam Haruna (the toddler).

Kabiru-Maude said after killing the children, the defendants threw Faruk and Abdulsalam Haruna into a well in the house.

During arraignment, Auwalu pleaded guilty to the charges, but denied throwing the children into the well

Dayyabu and Yakubu pleaded not guilty.

THE JUDGMENT

The judge held that the prosecution proved its case beyond reasonable doubt against the first and second defendants.

He described the brutal killing of the mother and her six children as a horrific crime that challenged the conscience of society.

He said Auwalu was Fatima’s nephew and that the deceased were attacked by people who ought to have protected them.

The judge said Haruna Bashir, the husband and father of the deceased, had been thrown into anguish, adding that no compensation could restore the lives lost or erase the trauma.

Saminu discharged and acquitted the third defendant, adding that there was no credible evidence to establish that he conspired with the first and second defendants.

The judge sentenced Auwalu and Dayyabu to life imprisonment with hard labour each for conspiracy and armed robbery.

He also sentenced the first and second defendants to death by hanging for culpable homicide.