Kano killings: Suspect tells court herbalist ordered family massacre

A 23-year-old murder suspect, Umar Auwalu, has told the Kano State High Court that he killed his uncle’s daughter, Fatima Abubakar, and her six children after receiving instructions from a herbalist.

Testifying before Justice Nasiru Saminu at High Court No. 11, Auwalu said the traditional healer, whom he identified only as Thomas, gave him incense and instructed him to continue committing similar crimes. He also claimed that his co-defendants, Isyaku Yakubu Chobe and Yakubu Dayyabu, were innocent, alleging that he mentioned their names only after being tortured while in police custody.
During Wednesday’s proceedings, the prosecution, led by government lawyers Safiya Yalwati and Zaharaddeen Hamisu Kofar Mata, alongside police investigator Corporal Aliyu Jamilu, presented witnesses. The defence also called its witnesses before the court adjourned the case until July 21, 2026, for continuation of the trial.
The case stems from the January 17, 2026, killing of Fatima Abubakar and her six children in Dorayi Chiranci, Kano. Following investigations, police arrested Auwalu, the deceased’s nephew, along with Chobe and Dayyabu. Initially arraigned before a Magistrates’ Court on eight counts, including conspiracy, culpable homicide, robbery and rape, the case was later transferred to the High Court, where the three defendants were re-arraigned on nine counts. While Auwalu admitted partial guilt, Chobe and Dayyabu pleaded not guilty. The trial continues as the court seeks to determine the circumstances surrounding the killings.