How they were murdered, by neighbours
In Chiranchi, Dorayi area of Kano, noon became night at the weekend. The blood-chilling incident unfurled on January 17.
The heinous killing of a mother and her six children shattered the community known for its close-knit bonds, warm and peaceful routines.
Since that dark day, Kano State has remained stiff stunned and hearts heavy with questions hanging.
Malam Bala Abubakar, a neighbour had pulled off his clothing to bathe when frantic shouts ripped through the air.
He heard screams for help, a cry of “Umar, please don’t kill me.” Abubakar said he rushed out, with a towel tied around his waist, and joined other neighbours who had already poured into the narrow lane.
“Some artisans, painting a new building adjacent to the home, where the horror took place, also heard the earsplitting cries and rushed out. They alerted people that “something wrong is going on in that house.” The Ward head, Ahmad Ya’u Yahaya (Gidan Kwari) also rushed to the scene.
“Together, we rallied to render help,” another eyewitness said. But it was too late. The killers had accomplished their mission. What they saw was a scene of horror. The canvass of blood was wide.
Thirty-year-old mother Fatima Abubakar, her first and second daughters Maimuna (17) and Aisha (16), alongside four sons – Bashir (13); Abubakar (10); Faruk (7) and one-year-old Abdulsalam were all lifeless on the ground: gruesomely killed.
The killers invaded their home at 12:10pm when the husband Haruna Bashir, had gone to the market, witnesses said.
“The attackers used a sewing machine head to smash and rip open the skulls of the victims. It was an unbelievably gory sight,” Abubakar told The Nation yesterday.
Neighbours swarmed the house, held the doors, and called the police.
Officers, prompted by Police Commissioner Ibrahim Adamu Bakori, arrived at the scene, combing the premises in a sting operation. One of the suspects hidden in a toilet was seized for what would later be a lead to the arrest of other gang members.
The dead were taken to the hospital, but none was saved.
Soon, a funeral was held, in line with Islamic rites, during which some of the perpetrators mingled with the mourners, disguising as sympathisers at the funeral.
They got it all wrong! They were unaware that the watchful eyes of detectives were tracking their moves. The game was up for them.
Police spokesman Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa gave the names of the three killer-suspects as Umar Auwalu, 23, Isyaku Yakubu, 40 and Yakubu Abdulaziz, 21 – all from Kano.
Auwalu turned out to be nephew to the slain mother who had begged him to spare her before he killed her.
The arrest of the suspects, now cooling off in police custody, brought a measure of relief to Kano residents, who spoke with this newspaper yesterday.
Many have urged Governor Abba Yusuf to sign their death warrant should they be prosecuted and found guilty by the court.