File photo: The deceased children
Residents of parts of Kano were thrown into shock and mourning on Saturday following the brutal killing of a housewife and her six children by suspected hoodlums in the Dorayi Chiranci area of the city.
The attack reportedly occurred in the early hours of the day when assailants stormed the family’s residence and killed the mother and five of her children. An infant was later discovered in a well within the compound, according to eyewitness accounts.
A resident of the area, Isiyaka Yakubu, said the community was alerted to the tragedy when a neighbour ran out of the house raising an alarm after discovering the victims in a pool of blood. He said the incident had instilled fear and tension across Dorayi Chiranci and neighbouring Dorayi Babba.
Yakubu described the killings as disturbing and unprecedented in the area, noting that residents have been left deeply unsettled. He added that the matter had been reported to the police and expressed hope that those responsible would be brought to justice.
The Kano State Police Command later confirmed the incident, stating that the number of victims had risen to seven. The command’s spokesperson, CSP Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa, identified the victims as Fatima Abubakar, aged 35, and her six children.
According to the police, a distress call was received at about 12:10 a.m. on January 17, 2025, reporting a violent attack on the household of Haruna Bashir in Dorayi Chiranci Quarters. The victims were said to have been attacked with dangerous weapons, resulting in fatal injuries.
Kiyawa said the Commissioner of Police, CP Ibrahim Adamu Bakori, immediately deployed a team of officers to the scene, led by the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of operations. The bodies were evacuated to Murtala Mohammed Specialist Hospital, Kano, where they were confirmed dead.
He added that the Assistant Commissioner of Police in charge of the Criminal Investigation Department had been directed to conduct a thorough investigation to uncover the circumstances surrounding the killings and apprehend the perpetrators.
The police assured residents that efforts were ongoing to identify and arrest those responsible, as the affected community continues to grapple with grief and fear.
