- Man sentenced to death by hanging
- Newborn poisoned with “fiya-fiya” insecticide
- Fear of shame from out-of-wedlock child caused the incidence
The Kano State Government prosecuted Abubakar Alhaji Sabo on charges of culpable homicide and causing grievous harm, following the tragic death of his newborn child.
According to evidence presented in court, Sabo poisoned the baby after the child’s mother, his girlfriend refused to carry out his instruction to kill the infant. He reportedly wanted to hide the shame of fathering a child outside marriage.
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Prosecutors told the court that Sabo force-fed the baby with fiya-fiya, a locally used insecticide, which led directly to the infant’s death.
The case took another violent turn when the girlfriend’s father caught Sabo in the act. In an attempt to escape, Sabo struck the man on the head with a brick, causing serious injury.
During the trial, prosecution counsel Barrister Safiya Yalwati Yahaya called three witnesses, while the defendant chose to testify in his own defence.
After carefully examining all the evidence, Justice Aisha Yau, who presided over the case, found Sabo guilty of infanticide.
“The prosecution has proven its case beyond reasonable doubt,” Justice Yau ruled before sentencing the defendant.
The court sentenced Sabo to death by hanging for the murder of the newborn and added an extra three-year prison term for causing grievous harm to the victim’s father.
The judgment has sparked renewed discussions on child protection, domestic violence, and the consequences of criminal actions driven by fear of social stigma.
