A Kano State High Court has sentenced two men, Umar Auwal, popularly known as Breaker, and Yakubu Dayyabu, also known as Wawo, to death by hanging for the murder of a housewife, Fatima Abubakar, and her six children.

Justice Nasiru Saminu of High Court Eleven delivered the judgment on Friday, finding the defendants guilty of killing the family at their residence in Dorayi Chiranchi, Kano, on January 17, 2026.

The court also sentenced the two convicts to life imprisonment for conspiracy and armed robbery.

In his judgment, Justice Saminu described the killing as a horrific crime, noting that the punishment was intended to serve justice rather than revenge.

However, the court discharged and acquitted the third defendant, Isiyaku Yakubu, of the conspiracy and murder charges.

The Kano State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Abdulkarim Maude, said the judgment vindicated the prosecution’s position and reaffirmed the government’s readiness to pursue the implementation of the death sentence, subject to the legal process.

He also commended the police for their investigation and the Ministry of Justice for its role in securing the conviction.

The case attracted widespread public outrage following the killing of the mother and her six children.