The principal suspect in the gruesome killing of a woman and her six children in Kano State has told the Kano State High Court that he carried out the attack on the instruction of a witch doctor.
The suspect, 23-year-old Umar Auwalu, made the claim on Wednesday while testifying before Justice Nasiru Saminu at High Court No. 11.
Auwalu admitted killing his uncle’s daughter, Fatima Abubakar, and her six children, but claimed he acted under the influence of a traditional healer identified only as Thomas.
According to the defendant, the herbalist gave him incense and instructed him to continue committing similar crimes.
He further told the court that his two co-defendants, Isyaku Yakubu Chobe and Yakubu Dayyabu, had no involvement in the killings.
Auwalu alleged that he only implicated the two men after he was subjected to torture while in police custody.
Both the prosecution and defence presented witnesses during Wednesday’s proceedings before the court.
Following the hearing, Justice Saminu adjourned the case until July 21, 2026, for the continuation of the trial.
The incident occurred on January 17, 2026, in the Dorayi Chiranchi area of Kano, where Fatima Abubakar and her six children were found dead inside their residence in a case that shocked residents of the state.
Police subsequently arrested Auwalu alongside Chobe and Dayyabu in connection with the killings.
The three suspects were initially arraigned before a Magistrates’ Court in February on charges bordering on conspiracy, culpable homicide, robbery and rape.
Following a review by the Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP), the matter was transferred to the Kano State High Court.
At the High Court, the defendants were arraigned on a nine-count charge.
While Auwalu admitted responsibility for the killings during the proceedings, the two other defendants pleaded not guilty, with the court continuing to hear evidence to determine their alleged involvement in the case.