Kano man Umar Auwalu pleads guilty to killing housewife, 6 children

By Ramatu Garba

A 23-year-old man identified as Umar Auwalu on Wednesday pleaded guilty to alleged gruesome murder of a housewife, Fatima Abubakar and her six children before a Kano High Court.

Auwalu pleaded guilty when he was re-arraigned alongside Isyaku Yakubu, 40 and Yakubu Abdulaziz for alleged murder of the housewife and her six children.

The three defendants were arraigned on nine counts of conspiracy, culpable homicide, and armed robbery by the Kano State Government.

The Prosecution Counsel, Mr Salisu Muhammad-Tahir, Solicitor-General, Kano State Ministry of Justice, informed the court that the defendants committed the offence on Jan.17, 2026, at Dorayi Chiranchi Quarters Kano.

He alleged that on the same date at about 11:30 a.m the defendants conspired and trespassed into the house of a housewife, Fatima Abubakar,35, killed her and her six children at Dorayi Chiranchi Quarters in Kano.

Auwalu, a nephew to the deceased pleaded guilty to the charge but denied throwing the children into the well, while the two other defendants pleaded not guilty.

“My Lord the first defendant pleaded guilty. We are applying for him to be summarily tried.

While we will call our witnesses to prove our case against the two other defendants who pleaded not guilty” the prosecutor said

Muhammad-Tahir said that the offence contravened the provision of section 97, 221, and 298(c) of the Penal Code.

The defence counsel, Mr K I Abdulkadir, told the court that the prosecution have to prove their case.

Justice Nasiru Samini held that under the Administration of Criminal Justice Law (ACJL), a plea of not guilty must be entered in a criminal cases, notwithstanding a defendant’s admission, adding that the prosecution need to prove their case.

He adjourned the matter until April 22, for hearing.

In a another development, the state government also re-arraigned Umar Auwalu, Yakubu Dayyabu, Isyaku Yakubu and Umar Ali, over the alleged rape and murder a nine-year-old girl.

The four defendants are standing trial on a four-count charge bordering on Criminal conspiracy, culpable homicide, rape and abetment.

The prosecutor alleged that the defendants committed the offence on Sept.11, 2025 at Kwarin Barga Kumbotso Local Government Kano.

He alleged that on the same date between 8:00 a.m and 8:30 a.m Umar and Dayyabu conspired and lured the victim into his room at Kwarin Barga and forcefully raped and removed her right eye.

The defendants all pleaded not guilty to the charge.

The prosecutor said that the offence contravened the provision of section 221,283 and 85 of the Penal Code.

Justice Saminu ordered that the defendants should be remanded in a correctional centre and adjourned the matter until April 27 and April 28 for hearing.

The court also fixed April 20 for the arraignment of the defendants in another case involving the alleged robbery and burning of two housewives at Tudun Yola Quarters in November 2025.

The adjournment followed the decision of the second and third defendants to withdraw the services of their counsel and seek new legal representation.

(NAN)