A Kano State High Court sitting at Bompai has sentenced two men to death by hanging for killing a housewife and her six children in Dorayi Chiranci, Kano.
Justice Nasiru Saminu, who gave the judgment on Friday, found Umar Auwalu, alias Breaker, and Yakubu Dayyabu guilty of culpable homicide.
The court gave each convict seven death sentences — one for each victim — under Section 221 of the Penal Code.
The victims, killed on January 17, 2026, are Fatima Abubakar, 35, and her children: Maimuna, 17; Aisha, 16; Bashir, 13; Abubakar, 10; Faruk, 7; and Abdussalam, 18 months.
The convicts were also given life imprisonment with hard labour for conspiracy to commit culpable homicide and armed robbery.
The court discharged and acquitted the third defendant, Isyaku Yakubu, alias Chebe.
The court was informed that the attackers gained entry after Fatima opened the door for Auwalu, who is her nephew. They allegedly locked the house and attacked the family with a cutlass, a club and a sewing machine.
Neighbours reportedly forced their way in after hearing cries, but the attackers had escaped.
Described as the leader of the group, Auwalu admitted partial responsibility but pleaded for leniency. He claimed a herbalist, identified as Thomas, gave him incense and told him to carry out similar attacks.
He also tried to exonerate his co-defendants, saying he mentioned their names after police torture. The court rejected the defence.
The court also told that the suspects were linked to an earlier attack in Tudun Yola in November 2025, where two women related to Auwalu were killed and their house set ablaze.
Justice Saminu described the killings as one of the most horrifying in criminal history, stressing that the victims were killed by people expected to protect them.
He added: “The convicts took advantage of the trust placed in them by the family.Seven lives have been lost. Seven human destinies have been terminated.”
He commiserated with Haruna Bashir, husband of Fatima and father of the six children, who survived because he was at the market during the attack.