A Kano neighbourhood has been left traumatised following the killing of a 30-year-old mother and her six children in a brazen daytime attack that shattered the area’s long-standing reputation for peace and close community ties.
Since the incident, residents have remained stunned, with many struggling to understand how such violence could occur in their midst.
A neighbour, Malam Bala Abubakar, said he was preparing to bathe when he heard frantic screams coming from the house.
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“I heard a woman shouting:
‘Umar, please don’t kill me. I ran out immediately with just a towel around my waist and saw other neighbours rushing towards the house,” Abubakar recalled.
He said artisans working on a nearby building also heard the cries and raised the alarm, prompting more residents, including the ward head, Ahmad Ya’u Yahaya (Gidan Kwari), to converge on the scene.
“Together, we tried to help, but by the time we got there, it was already too late,” another eyewitness said.
Those killed were identified as Fatima Abubakar, 30, and her children: Maimuna, 17; Aisha, 16; Bashir, 13; Abubakar, 10; Faruk, 7; and one-year-old Abdulsalam. Witnesses said the attack occurred at about 12.10 pm when the children’s father, Haruna Bashir, had gone to the market.
The victims were rushed to hospital, but doctors confirmed that none survived.
Police officers, acting on the directive of the Commissioner of Police, Ibrahim Adamu Bakori, arrived at the scene shortly after and launched a search of the area.
A suspect was reportedly found hiding in a toilet within the compound, a development that later led to the arrest of others allegedly involved in the attack.
The Kano State Police Command spokesman, Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa, identified the suspects as Umar Auwalu, 23; Isyaku Yakubu, 40; and Yakubu Abdulaziz, 21, all residents of Kano.
“The suspects are currently in custody and will be charged to court after the conclusion of investigations,” he said.
In a disturbing twist, residents said some of the suspects allegedly attended the victims’ burial, blending in with mourners and posing as sympathisers.
“They thought they had escaped justice, but detectives were monitoring them closely,” a security source said.
The arrests have brought some relief to residents, many of whom are now calling for justice to take its full course.
“This pain is too much,” a community member said. “If they are found guilty, the law must be allowed to take its course. Nothing can bring back those children.”
The Kano State Government has yet to issue an official statement, but residents have urged Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf to ensure diligent prosecution of the suspects to serve as a deterrent and restore public confidence.
