Headlines
Alleged child killer: “I was out of my mind”
Maude Rabiu Gwadabe
The woman who allegedly killed her two children in Kano City on Saturday said she was out of her mind when the incident happened.
Kano Focus reports that Hauwa’u Habib of Galadanchi quarters told the police that she wasn’t aware that she hacked her children to death.
“I saw my two children Zuhra and Yusuf attacking me with a knife or something.
“I called my husband and told him what was happening but he didn’t believe me.
“So I locked the house and escaped to my mother’s house for safety.
“The next thing I know was my husband coming to my mother’s house with bloodied clothes saying that I had killed the children.” Ms Habib said.
Paranoia and hallucinations
She also told the police that she had been paranoid for some time.
“I used to feel that I was being pursued.
“I even hallucinate a lot but my husband never believed me.
“Even he himself, I used to see him transforming into a beast with hooves instead of legs.” She said.
Ms Habib’s husband, Ibrahim Haruna Aminu of Diso quarters told Kano Focus that his wife was neither possessed nor suffering from mental illness.
Woman who killed own children is not possessed – Husband
Out of her mind
However, Mr Aminu told the police that she must have been out of her mind when she allegedly killed the children.
“A day before the incident, while I was bidding her farewell as I set out to my other house, she asked me whether I was well.
“I said ‘why are you asking?’’ and she said that she was hallucinating but couldn’t tell me what she was seeing.” Mr Aminu said.
He added that his wife called him on Saturday claiming that she was under attack.
“She called around 9:55am saying that two women and a man are threatening to kill her.
“I asked where the children are but she answered that they are the ones threatening her.
“So I told her to keep praying and I’ll be with her after it stopped raining.” He said.
Last encounter with my children
Mr Aminu said she called back five minutes later and connected him with the children.
He said they asked for Bobo drink and he told them to ask their mum to fetch some from his wardrobe.
He then set out for the house but his car developed a problem.
Mr Aminu said he had to call a friend to tow the car to the mechanic’s.
“When I arrived I found the door locked and nobody opened when I knocked.
“I therefore used my key to open and found my children lying in their blood.
“The other girl, who was also stabbed, told me that ‘Aunty Hauwa’u had killed them’.” He said.
Mr Aminu said when he traced his wife to her mother’s house he found them having a chit-chat.
“When I told her mother what she did, the mother started crying while my wife kept asking ‘what happened?’”. He said.
Meanwhile Kano state police spokesperson Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa said the suspect had confessed to using a machete and an aluminum pestle to attack her two children and a niece.
Mr Kiyawa, a deputy superintendent of police say the State Criminal Investigation Department has taken over the case.
Nasiru Yusuf Ibrahim
Nafisah Yusuf Hassan, a magistrate in Kano State, has been recommended for appointment as a judge of the Kano State High Court by the National Judicial Council (NJC).
KANO FOCUS reports that Hassan is among four judicial officers from Kano State recommended for elevation to the High Court bench out of 28 candidates selected nationwide.
The other nominees are Halima Yahuza Ahmad, Abdullahi Abdulsalam Bature and Musa Ibrahim Umar.
The NJC disclosed the recommendations in a statement issued by its Deputy Director of Information, Kemi Babalola-Ogedengbe, following its consideration of candidates for judicial appointments across the country.
The council said all recommended candidates were expected to be sworn in by their respective state governors without delay.
Hassan’s recommendation follows her years of service in the Kano State judiciary, where she has reportedly distinguished herself through diligence, professionalism and careful handling of cases.
She has been commended for her commitment to judicial ethics, diligence and fairness in the discharge of her responsibilities, achievements that contributed to her career progression within the judiciary.
Her elevation is part of a broader development in the Kano State judiciary, with four magistrates from the state successfully scaling the selection process for appointment to the High Court.
The four nominees were reportedly assessed during the selection exercise and demonstrated strong professional competence, while their service records were found to be free of adverse remarks.
Their recommendation marks a significant step in their judicial careers and is expected to strengthen the judicial workforce in Kano State upon their formal appointment.
Nasiru Yusuf Ibrahim
The Kano State Accountability Forum on Education (K-SAFE) says it has tracked nearly 1,000 education projects across the state as part of efforts to promote transparency, accountability and effective service delivery in the education sector.
KANO FOCUS the coalition’s Co-Chair, Dr Auwalu Halilu, disclosed this on Wednesday during an advocacy visit to the Kano State Ministry of Public Procurement and Project Monitoring.
Dr Halilu said K-SAFE had monitored projects in more than six local government areas, covering interventions implemented by the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Kano State Senior Secondary Education Management Board and Local Education Authorities (LEAs).
He explained that the monitoring exercise involved physical inspections and documentation of projects through photographs, videos and geographical locations.
According to him, reports of the findings had been submitted to relevant ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs), highlighting projects that met required standards and those requiring further attention.
He cited Rimin Gado Local Government Area, where the coalition tracked more than 80 education projects, adding that it planned to extend the exercise to all 44 local government areas of the state.
The K-SAFE Co-Chair said the visit was aimed at presenting the coalition’s activities to the ministry and exploring areas of collaboration in procurement and project monitoring.
He called for the inclusion of civil society organisations in procurement and monitoring processes, particularly tender board activities and field inspections, to strengthen independent oversight and provide them with firsthand information on government projects.
Dr Halilu also requested the ministry’s support in organising capacity-building programmes for civil society organisations on procurement procedures, due process, project standardisation, monitoring and evaluation.
He said such training would enhance civil society organisations’ understanding of procurement regulations and the technical requirements guiding project implementation.
Responding, the Commissioner for Public Procurement and Project Monitoring, Dr Nura Iro Ma’aji, welcomed the delegation and acknowledged the coalition’s contributions to supporting the state government’s efforts in the education sector.
He expressed the ministry’s readiness to collaborate with K-SAFE through information sharing and other relevant engagements to strengthen accountability and ensure compliance with due process.
“From our side, we are ready to work together because we know what they have been doing to support Kano State Government in the education sector,” he said.
Dr Halilu further disclosed that the coalition and its partner organisations had carried out the monitoring exercise without financial sponsorship, describing it as a demonstration of their commitment to transparency and accountability.
He reaffirmed K-SAFE’s commitment to sustaining engagement with relevant government agencies, civil society organisations and the media to strengthen oversight of education projects across Kano State.
Ibrahim Khalil
Government Secondary School (GSS) Army Day Bukavu has emerged champion in both the male and female categories of the maiden Kano State Secondary Schools Tug of War Competition.
KANO FOCUS reports that the school clinched the double victory at the competition, which ended on Wednesday at the Kano Pillars Stadium, Sabon Gari, Kano.
Governors College finished as runners-up in the male category, while Government Girls College (GGC) Kano secured second position in the female category.
The competition was organised by the Kano State Tug of War Association in collaboration with the state Ministry of Education, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and the Kano State Sports Commission.
The maiden championship brought together secondary school students to promote teamwork, discipline, unity and sportsmanship, while raising awareness about the dangers of drug abuse.
Speaking at the closing ceremony, the Vice Chairman of the Kano State Tug of War Association, Jamilu Uba Adamu, described the competition as a successful initiative that had achieved its objectives.
He commended the Ministry of Education, Sports Commission, NDLEA, Gongoni Company Limited and MAGZO Pharmaceutical for supporting the event, particularly through the provision of T-shirts and Pocari Sweat drinks.
Also speaking, the Secretary of the Kano State Tug of War Association, Bashir Muhammad Sulaiman, who represented the Executive Chairman of the Sports Commission, Muhammad Tukur Babangida, reaffirmed the commission’s commitment to developing grassroots and school sports.
He said the initiative would help identify and nurture young sporting talents across the state.
The closing ceremony was attended by a member of the Kano State Football Association Board, Rilwanu Idris Malikawa Garu, representatives of the Ministry of Education, NDLEA, the Sports Commission and other stakeholders in the sports sector.
The organisers congratulated the winning schools and commended all participating institutions and partners for contributing to the success of the maiden edition.
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