Kano Court Sentences Two Men to Death for Killing Housewife, Six Children
A Kano State High Court has sentenced two men to death by hanging for the murder of a 35-year-old housewife, Fatima Abubakar, and her six children in Dorayi Chiranchi Quarters, Kano State.
The court also sentenced the convicts to life imprisonment with hard labour for armed robbery.
The judgment was delivered on Friday, November 6, 2026, by Justice Nasiru Saminu of High Court No. 11, sitting at Bompai, after the court found the defendants guilty of culpable homicide.
The convicts, Umar Auwalu, popularly known as Breaker, and Yakubu Dayyabu, also called Wawo, were each handed seven death sentences, corresponding to the seven victims.
The victims were Fatima and her children, Maimuna, 17; Aisha, 16; Bashir, 13; Abubakar, 10; Faruk, seven; and Abdussalam, aged one and a half years.
They were killed at their residence on January 17, 2026.
The court, however, discharged and acquitted a third defendant, Isiyaku Abdul’azeez, also known as Chebe, after ruling that the prosecution failed to establish his involvement in the murder and conspiracy charges.
Prosecution Presents Eight Witnesses
Speaking after the judgment, Kano State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Abdulkarim Kabir Maude, described the incident as one of the darkest moments in the history of the state.
Maude, who led the prosecution team, said the conviction followed the presentation of eight prosecution witnesses and 30 exhibits, alongside evidence from the defence.
He expressed satisfaction with the judgment, stating that the court had established the culpability of Auwalu and Dayyabu in the killings and armed robbery.
The attorney general also said the state government was prepared to pursue the implementation of the death sentence, subject to the convicts’ right to appeal within the period prescribed by law.
He commended the police for their investigation and the officials of the Ministry of Justice for their contributions to securing the convictions.
Maude further disclosed that although Isiyaku Abdul’azeez was acquitted in the present case, he was still facing two separate cases, with judgments expected later.
Judge Describes Killings as Horrific
During the proceedings, Justice Saminu underscored the gravity of the crime, describing the killings as an extremely horrifying act.
The judge reportedly stated that the magnitude of the offence was so severe that he would have imposed a harsher punishment if one existed beyond the death penalty.
The case arose from the January 17, 2026, attack on the family’s residence in Dorayi Chiranchi, during which Fatima and her six children were killed, while her husband, Haruna Bashir, survived.
The prosecution was led by Maude and Barrister Salisu Muhammad Tahir, while Barristers J.I. Musa and A.I. Baba represented the defendants.
