A magistrates’ court in Kano has ordered that a housewife, Hafsat Surajo and her husband, Abdullahi Dayyabu, be remanded in a correctional centre over the alleged murder of their housekeeper, Nafiu Hafizu, 38.

The housewife allegedly stabbed Mr Hafizu to death on December 20, 2023, for preventing her from dying by suicide.

Mrs Surajo had, in her confession to the police in December, said, “I killed him because he prevented me from killing myself. While he attempted to snatch the knife from my hand, a quarrel ensued between us, and in the process, I had a cut in my hand, and blood was gushing out. He asked me to go in and change.”

Mr Dayyabu and two other men, Adamu Muhammad and Nasidi Muhammad, are standing trial on three counts of criminal conspiracy, concealment of fact, and false information. 

The defendants pleaded not guilty to the charge and filed a bail application.

Chief Magistrate Hadiza Abdulrahman adjourned the matter until January 18 for a ruling.

Earlier, the prosecution counsel, Hafsa Adda’u-Kutama, informed the court that one Salisu Hafizu reported the matter to the Zaria Road Police Division on December 21, 2023.

She alleged that on December 20, 2023, Mr Dayyabu (Hafsat Surajo’s husband) and the two other defendants conspired with one Haruna Adamu, now at large and concealed the cause of Mr Nafiu’s death.

“The defendants misled and gave false information to the deceased family by saying he died as a result of pile surgery,” the prosecutor said.

The prosecutor said the offence contravened the provisions of sections 97, 277 and 178 of the Penal Code.

The defence counsel, Rabiu Sidi and Rabiu Abdullahi urged the court to judiciously grant the defendants bail according to section 36(5) of the 1999 Nigeria Constitution as amended and sections 168 and 172 of the ACJL 2019 Kano State.

(NAN)