The Kano State Police Command has arrested three principal suspects in connection with the gruesome killing of a 35-year-old housewife, Fatima Abubakar, and her six children in Dorayi Chiranchi Quarters, Kano, in an attack that shocked residents of the ancient city.
The suspects—identified as Umar Auwalu, Isyaku Yakubu, and Yakubu Abdulaziz—were apprehended following a seven-hour intelligence-led sting operation carried out by specialised police teams.
The operation was conducted under the directives of the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, and the Kano State Commissioner of Police, Ibrahim Adamu Bakori.
Police sources said Umar Auwalu, described as the leader of the gang and a nephew of the deceased, confessed to masterminding the January 17, 2026 attack.
During interrogation, Auwalu allegedly provided details of how the killings were planned and executed, and further linked the syndicate to other violent crimes within Kano metropolis.
According to the police, Auwalu also implicated the group in previous deadly attacks, including the killing and burning of two housewives in the Tudun Yola Quarters of Kano, suggesting a broader pattern of violent criminal activity by the suspects.
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Items recovered from the suspects during the operation included bloodstained clothing, mobile phones, an undisclosed sum of stolen money, a cutlass, a club, and other weapons believed to have been used in the commission of the crimes.
The Kano State Police Command said the arrests underscore its resolve to deploy intelligence-driven strategies to dismantle criminal networks and ensure that perpetrators of violent crimes are brought to justice.
Commissioner of Police Bakori reassured residents of Kano State of the command’s commitment to public safety, urging members of the public to continue to support security agencies by providing timely and credible information to aid crime prevention and detection.
Investigations are ongoing, while the suspects are expected to be charged to court upon the conclusion of the police inquiry.