Five death sentenced after killing a woman who said she was a witch

Five men have been sentenced to death hanging in the state of Kano de Nigeria for the 2023 murder of a woman who accused of witchcraft.

The convicted men attacked Dahare Abubakar, 67, while working on their farm, hitting and stabbing her until death.

The family of Mrs. Abubakar went to the authorities and the suspects were quickly arrested in a town at 45 km (28 miles) of Kano, the largest city in northern Nigeria.

The case caught attention throughout the country and raised discussions about how people in rural areas continue to be killed after witchcraft accusations.

Those who make statements without any proof believe that those who accuse are responsible for the death of a family member, illness or misfortune.

Giving his ruling, Judge Usman Na’abba said the Prosecutor’s Office had demonstrated his case against the five men beyond reasonable doubt.

The prosecutor, Abba Sorondiki, said he hoped that the trial deterred others to make unfair accusations and then take the matter in his own hands.

The court heard that the victim was killed after the sick wife of one of the defendants, Abdulaziz Yahaya, has dreamed of Mrs. Abubakar, who was holding a knife.

Yahaya then organized a group to face Mrs. Abubakar, which resulted in her murder.

“There have been similar cases like this, but this is the first time we see up to five people convicted of death for murder for an unfair accusation of witchcraft,” Sorondiki told the BBC.

The victim’s son, Musa Yahaya, said that the day his mother was killed was the worst day of his life and that he was happy to see that justice was served.

“I am happy because they would receive the same treatment they did to my mother,” he said.

The defense lawyer Ma’aruf Yakasai said that his clients plan to appeal against the verdict.

The death penalty is rarely carried out in Nigeria and those convicted often pass the rest of their lives in prison in the death corridor.