The Kano State High Court has sentenced one Abubakar Alhaji Sabo to death by hanging after finding him guilty of killing his newborn son in a chilling case of infanticide.
Sabo was prosecuted by the Kano State Government on charges of culpable homicide and causing grievous harm, following the death of the infant who was allegedly force-fed with a local insecticide known as fiya-fiya.
According to evidence presented before the court, the tragic incident occurred after the baby’s mother—identified as Sabo’s girlfriend—refused his directive to kill the child to avoid the shame of fathering a baby out of wedlock. Enraged by her refusal, Sabo reportedly took the newborn and poisoned him, leading to the child’s death.
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The court further heard that Sabo also assaulted the girlfriend’s father during the incident. He was said to have struck the man on the head with a brick after being caught in the act of poisoning the baby.
During the trial, the prosecution counsel, Barrister Safiya Yalwati Yahaya, called three witnesses to establish the case against the defendant. Sabo, in his defence, testified on his own behalf.
After a careful review of the evidence from both sides, the presiding judge, Justice Aisha Yau, held that the prosecution had proved its case beyond reasonable doubt.
In her judgment, Justice Yau found Sabo guilty of infanticide and sentenced him to death by hanging. The court also imposed an additional three-year jail term for the offence of causing grievous harm.