By Sabiu Abdullahi
The father of Umar Auwalu, the prime suspect in the brutal killing of a housewife and her six children in Kano State, has urged authorities to hasten the prosecution of the case and carry out the death sentence on his son if found guilty.
Mallam Auwalu made the appeal on Monday while speaking during a programme on a local radio station in Kano. He openly condemned the alleged actions of his son and distanced himself from the crime.
“The likes of Umar, my son, should not be allowed to live in society. They should be eliminated to allow for a sane environment,” he said in Hausa.
He also claimed that he had earlier suspected Umar’s involvement in the killing of the junior sister of the same family in Dorayi Hausa last month. According to him, the suspect may have taken part in several crimes before his arrest.
“I am quite sure that Umar has been committing many crimes which we are not aware of. Now that he has been arrested, he should be punished accordingly,” he added.
Mallam Auwalu warned against any delay in the legal process, expressing concern that interference could lead to the suspect regaining freedom.
“I don’t want the government or security agencies to delay his trial. If he stays in prison even for one day, some politicians may come and forgive him, and that will not go well for our society,” he said.
The victims, identified as Fatima Abubakar and her six children, were killed after assailants invaded their residence in Dorayi Chiranchi Quarters of Kano metropolis on Saturday.
The Kano State Police Command disclosed that it received a distress call at about 12:10pm concerning an attack on the home of Haruna Bashir. Police said the victims were assaulted with dangerous weapons, which resulted in fatal injuries.
In a statement issued by the Police Public Relations Officer, Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa, the Commissioner of Police, Ibrahim Adamu Bakori, ordered the immediate deployment of a team led by the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of Operations, DCP Lawal Isah Mani, to the scene.
The victims’ bodies were later moved to the Murtala Mohammed Specialist Hospital, Kano, where medical personnel confirmed them dead.