The Kano State Police Command has arrested three principal suspects in connection with the killing of a housewife and her six children in Dorayi Chiranchi Quarters, Kano.
The tragic incident occurred on Saturday, January 17, 2026, when assailants reportedly broke into the family’s residence and attacked the victims.
The victims were identified as Fatima Abubakar, 35, and her children: Maimuna, 17; Aisha, 16; Bashir, 13; Abubakar, 10; Faruk, 7; and Abdulsalam, aged about one and a half years.
In a statement issued on Sunday, the Police Public Relations Officer, CSP Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa, said the suspects were arrested during a coordinated sting operation that lasted several hours.
The suspects were named as Umar Auwalu, 23, of Sabuwar Gandu Quarters; Isyaku Yakubu, also known as “Chebe,” 40, of Sagagi Quarters; and Yakubu Abdulaziz, also known as “Wawo,” 21, of Sabon Gida Sharada Quarters, all in Kano metropolis.
According to the police, Umar Auwalu, who is alleged to be the leader of the gang and a nephew of the deceased housewife, confessed to involvement in the crime. He also reportedly admitted that the same group had been linked to other violent crimes in Kano, including the killing of two housewives in Tudun Yola Quarters.
CSP Kiyawa said several items were recovered from the suspects, including bloodstained clothing, two mobile phones belonging to the deceased, cash believed to have been stolen, and weapons allegedly used in the attacks.
“The Kano State Police Command, acting on the directives of the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, has deployed intelligence-led policing to apprehend three suspected masterminds behind the killing of a housewife and her six children in Dorayi Chiranchi Quarters on January 17, 2026,” the statement said.
He added that the arrests were carried out under the supervision of the Commissioner of Police, CP Ibrahim Adamu Bakori, following sustained intelligence and operational efforts by crack detectives of the command.
The police assured the public that investigations were ongoing and that the suspects would be charged to court upon the conclusion of investigations.
