Kano court sentences two to death for killing mother, six children

The Kano State High Court on Friday sentenced Umar Auwal and Yakubu Dayyabu to death by hanging after finding them guilty of killing a housewife, Fatima Abubakar and her six children in Dorayi Chiranchi, Kano State.

The presiding judge, Justice Nasiru Saminu of High Court No. 11, delivered the judgment after reviewing the evidence and testimonies presented during the trial.

The court found Auwal, popularly known as Breaker, and Dayyabu, also known as Wawo, guilty of killing Fatima and her six children on January 17, 2026.

The court consequently sentenced each of them to death by hanging.

“The brutal killing of the mother and her six children was a horrific crime that challenged the conscience of society.

“How I wish there is a punishment heavier than this. My emphasis is not to administer vengeance but justice,” Justice Saminu said.

The court also sentenced the two convicts to life imprisonment for conspiracy and armed robbery.

However, Justice Saminu discharged and acquitted the third defendant, Isiyaku Yakubu, of the conspiracy and murder charges.

The prosecution team was led by Kano State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Abdulkarim Maude, alongside Salisu Tahir.

According to the Attorney-General, the judgment had vindicated the prosecution’s position on the involvement of the two convicts in the killings and armed robbery.

He also declared the state government’s readiness to pursue the implementation of the death sentence if the convicts failed to exercise their right of appeal within the period provided by law.

He commended the police for what he described as a thorough investigation and praised officials of the Ministry of Justice for their role in securing the conviction.

On the acquitted defendant, Maude disclosed that although Isiyaku Abdul’azeez had been cleared in the present case, he was still facing two separate cases, with judgments expected later.

The defendants were represented by J. I. Musa and A. I. Baba.

Recall that Fatima Abubakar and her six children were murdered on January 17, 2026, at their residence in Dorayi Chiranchi, Kano, in a case that sparked widespread public concern and condemnation.