The Kano State Police Command has confirmed a devastating increase in the death toll from a brutal weekend attack, with seven family members now confirmed dead. The gruesome incident, which has sent shockwaves through the Dorayi Chiranci community, involved the murder of a housewife and her six children.
Horrific Details of the Saturday Morning Attack
Suspected assailants invaded the private residence of Haruna Bashir in the Dorayi Chiranci quarter of Kano in the early hours of Saturday, January 17, 2026. According to eyewitness accounts, the killers slaughtered the mother, Fatima Abubakar, 35, and three of her children inside their home.
In a particularly cruel twist, an infant child was discovered dumped in a well within the compound. A resident, Isiyaka Yakubu, described how the community was thrown into mourning after a neighbour emerged from the victims' house in distress, screaming for help. "The neighbour who came out of the house told us she found everyone in the house in a pool of their blood," Yakubu recounted.
Police Response and Official Confirmation
The Kano Police Command spokesperson, CSP Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa, stated that a distress call was received at approximately 12:10 pm on January 17, 2025, reporting the brutal attack. Upon receiving the call, the Commissioner of Police, CP Ibrahim Adamu Bakori, PhD, immediately mobilised a response team.
Deputy Commissioner of Police in Charge of Operations, DCP Lawal Isah Mani, led the initial team to the scene. The bodies were evacuated and taken to Murtala Mohammed Specialist Hospital in Kano, where they were pronounced dead. A separate team led by ACP Wada Jarma of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has been instructed to conduct a thorough investigation to apprehend the perpetrators.
Community Gripped by Fear and Unanswered Questions
The horrific event has triggered profound fear and tension in the Dorayi Chiranci and neighbouring Dorayi Babba areas. Isiyaka Yakubu expressed the community's anguish and anxiety, stating, "This is worrisome and unexplained... The entire Dorayi Chiranci and Dorayi Babba cannot sleep with their eyes closed. This has never happened in this area before."
While the motive behind the attack remains unclear and the assailants are still at large, residents have reported the case to the police and are hoping for swift action. The incident highlights the persistent challenges of insecurity in Kano and has left a community traumatised, searching for answers and justice for the slain family.
