Kano Court sentences two to death for killing mother and six children

A Kano State High Court has sentenced two men, Umar Auwal and Yakubu Dayyabu, to death by hanging for the murder of Fatima Abubakar and her six children. The killings occurred during an attack on the family home in Dorayi Chiranci on January 17, 2026.

Presiding Judge Justice Nasiru Saminu delivered the judgment following convictions on seven counts of culpable homicide. The defendants, also known as Breaker and Wawo, received additional sentences of life imprisonment with hard labour for conspiracy and armed robbery.

A third defendant, Isiyaku Abdul’azeez, was discharged and acquitted after the court ruled that the prosecution failed to establish his involvement in the killings or conspiracy.

Kano State Attorney General Abdulkarim Kabir Maude led the prosecution, noting that the case was supported by eight witnesses and 30 exhibits. Maude described the incident as one of the darkest in the state’s history and stated the government is prepared to implement the death sentences should the convicts fail to appeal within the legal timeframe.