I killed my six children, aunt because witch doctor instructed me to do so – Kano murder suspect 

Twenty-three-year-old Umar Auwalu has told a Kano State High Court he murdered his uncle’s daughter and her six children on the instructions of a witch doctor named Thomas, while also claiming his two co-defendants played no role in the killings and were only implicated after he was tortured in police custody.

A Kano courtroom heard one of the most chilling confessions in recent Nigerian criminal history on Wednesday.

Umar Auwalu, 23, took the stand before Justice Nasiru Saminu at High Court No. 11 and calmly admitted to killing Fatima Abubakar — his uncle’s daughter — and her six children, telling the court he acted on instructions from a witch doctor, according to court correspondents covering the hearing.

“A herbalist and traditional healer named Thomas,” Auwalu told the court, gave him incense and directed him to continue carrying out similar crimes.

Daily Post reports that the killings occurred on January 17, 2026, at the family home in Dorayi Chiranchi, Kano, where Fatima and her six children were found murdered. Police subsequently arrested Auwalu and two other suspects — Isyaku Yakubu Chobe and Yakubu Dayyabu.

In court, Auwalu went further, exonerating both co-defendants entirely. He told Justice Saminu he only implicated them after being tortured while in police custody — a claim that will likely feature prominently as the trial progresses.

The three suspects were initially arraigned before a Magistrates’ Court in February on charges including conspiracy, culpable homicide, robbery, and rape. Following a review by the Directorate of Public Prosecutions, the case was transferred to the High Court, where all three now face nine charges. While Auwalu admitted responsibility, both co-defendants have entered pleas of not guilty.

Both prosecution and defence presented witnesses during Wednesday’s hearing before Justice Saminu adjourned proceedings until July 21 for continuation of the trial.