- Five men sentenced to death by hanging in Kano state for the 2023 murder of a woman accused of witchcraft.
- Victim Dahare Abubakar, 67, was attacked and killed after being falsely accused following a dream by one of the attackers’ wives.
- Case sparked national debate over witchcraft-related violence in rural Nigeria; defense plans to appeal the verdict.
A court in Nigeria’s Kano state has sentenced five men to death by hanging for the 2023 murder of 67-year-old Dahare Abubakar, whom they accused of witchcraft.
EKO HOT BLOG gathered that the men attacked Abubakar on her farm, beating and stabbing her to death. Their arrests followed swiftly after her family reported the crime.
The case sparked national debate about violent witchcraft accusations in rural communities. Judge Usman Na’abba ruled that the prosecution had proven the case beyond reasonable doubt.
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Prosecutor Abba Sorondiki expressed hope that the ruling would deter others from taking the law into their own hands.
The court heard that the attack stemmed from a dream by the sick wife of one of the accused, Abdulaziz Yahaya, in which Abubakar allegedly pursued her with a knife. Yahaya then rallied others to confront Abubakar, leading to her murder.
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The victim’s son, Musa Yahaya, welcomed the verdict, calling it justice for his mother. Meanwhile, the defense plans to appeal.
Though the death penalty exists in Nigeria, executions are rare, with many convicts spending life on death row.
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