A court in Nigeria’s Kano state has sentenced five men to death by hanging for the 2023 murder of a 67-year-old woman, Dahare Abubakar, whom they accused of witchcraft.
The convicted men attacked Ms. Abubakar while she was working on her farm, beating and stabbing her to death.
Following the incident, her family reported the matter to authorities, leading to the swift arrest of the suspects in a village located 45km (28 miles) from Kano, the largest city in northern Nigeria.
The case sparked nationwide discussions about how witchcraft allegations continue to result in killings, particularly in rural communities.
Many of those making such accusations believe their targets are responsible for personal misfortunes, including illness or the death of a family member.
During his ruling, Judge Usman Na’abba stated that the prosecution had proven its case against the accused “beyond reasonable doubt.”
Prosecutor Abba Sorondiki expressed hope that the judgment would serve as a deterrent, saying, “There have been similar cases like this, but this is the first time we are seeing up to five people sentenced to death for murder over a wrongful witchcraft accusation.”
The court heard that the attack was instigated by Abdulaziz Yahaya, one of the convicted men, after his sick wife had a dream in which Ms. Abubakar was allegedly chasing her with a knife.
Believing the dream to be a sign of witchcraft, Yahaya gathered a group to confront Ms. Abubakar, leading to her brutal murder.
The victim’s son, Musa Yahaya, described the day of his mother’s murder as the worst of his life. Reacting to the verdict, he said,
“I am happy because they would get the same treatment they meted out to my mother.”
However, defense lawyer Ma’aruf Yakasai announced that his clients plan to appeal the ruling.
While the five men have been sentenced to death, executions in Nigeria are rare, and many convicted individuals remain on death row for years.
Source-BBC
