Kano Family Massacre: Court Sentences Two Suspects to Death by Hanging

A Kano State High Court sitting at Court 11 has sentenced two men to death by hanging for the gruesome murder of a 35-year-old housewife, Fatima Abubakar, and her six children in Dorayi Chiranchi Quarters, Kano.
The victims were killed on January 17, 2026, in an attack that shocked residents of the state.

The convicts, identified as Umar Auwalu, 23, of Sabuwar Gandu Quarters, and Yakubu Daiyebu, 21, of Sabon Gida, Sharada Quarters, were also sentenced to life imprisonment with hard labour for conspiracy to commit culpable homicide and armed robbery.

Delivering the judgment, Justice Nasiru Saminu described the incident as one of the most horrifying crimes in the history of criminal justice, expressing shock that the victims were allegedly murdered by individuals who were expected to protect them.

The judge explained that Fatima had willingly opened her door to the first convict when he arrived with his accomplice, unaware of their alleged intentions.

According to the court, the defendants abused the trust placed in them by the deceased before launching the deadly attack that claimed seven lives.

Justice Saminu noted that the deceased woman was not merely a victim but a mother whose life was closely connected to the hopes, welfare and future of her six children.

“Seven lives have been lost. Seven human destinies have been terminated. Seven opportunities to experience life with its aspirations and contributions to society have been permanently extinguished,” the judge said.

The court also sympathised with the surviving family members, particularly Haruna Bashir, the husband of the deceased and father of the six children, who has been left to cope with the devastating loss.

Justice Saminu observed that no court judgment could bring back the victims or adequately compensate the family for their loss.

However, he emphasised that the responsibility of the judiciary was to administer justice in accordance with the law and evidence, rather than act out of vengeance or public emotion.

“The court must neither be swayed by emotion nor be indifferent to the gravity of the crime. Its decision must be founded on the law, the evidence and the applicable principles of criminal justice,” he stated.

The judge also made reference to Quran 5:45, which establishes the principle of life for life, before pronouncing the death sentences.

The two defendants were found guilty of culpable homicide punishable by death under Section 221 of the Penal Code.

In addition to the death sentences, they were handed life imprisonment with hard labour for conspiracy and armed robbery.

Meanwhile, the third defendant, Isyaku Yakubu, 40, was earlier discharged and acquitted by the court.

During the proceedings, the first defendant reportedly pleaded for leniency after admitting guilt, while the second defendant maintained his plea of not guilty.

The judgment brings a major development in the case involving the killing of the housewife and her six children, one of the most disturbing criminal incidents reported in Kano State.