A wave of deadly gang violence has gripped Kano State, with residents of Kurna Mayanka, Yan Yashi, and Tudun Fulani communities left reeling after a series of brutal revenge killings, including the gruesome murder of Usman Hamidan, who was slaughtered in his own home.
His elderly and paralyzed mother, Hajiya Habi Hamidan, gave a heartbreaking account of the attack during an interview with Gistmania.
“They broke into our house in the middle of the night while I was lying down sick in my room. I heard his screams in the courtyard as they were slaughtering him. I saw four of them with masks. I begged them not to kill him, but they told me they were sent just to kill him. I watched as they beheaded my son, his brains on the floor. They even licked his blood off their knives,” she sobbed.
Usman, her only son and caretaker, was one of four people killed over the weekend in a violent clash between rival gangs, which is part of a growing cycle of retaliatory killings in Ungogo Local Government Area.
Other victims have also been reportedly dragged from their homes and executed, prompting fears that the violence is now targeting civilians, not just rival gangs.
Speaking on the worsening crisis, Alhaji Bashir Lawal Moriki, the local vigilante chairman, placed part of the blame on parents:
“This is the parents’ fault because these boys are from this community, not from the sky. If it were my son, I would hand him over to the authorities. We have to correct our own children first.”
In another horrifying incident, a young security guard, Sabiu, narrowly escaped death after being attacked with knives:
“They flashed light in my eyes. Before I could understand anything, they had already started slashing me. You can see the cuts on my head,” he recounted, showing his injuries.
Residents blame rampant drug abuse among youth and the failure of law enforcement to curb rising gang activities. Some allege that police have been arresting innocent youths after attacks, intensifying fear in the community.
During a visit to the community, Kano State Commissioner for Internal Security, Air Vice Marshal Ibrahim Umar (Rtd.), advised residents to take protective measures while awaiting help during attacks:
“Defend yourselves if you must, until security agents arrive,” he urged.
Efforts to get a comment from the Kano State Police Command on allegations of indiscriminate arrests and ongoing investigations were unsuccessful as of press time.
With gangs now invading homes and murdering residents at night, locals fear that Kano’s gang crisis is entering a dangerous new phase, far deadlier than previous street-level skirmishes. Calls for swift, coordinated action from authorities are growing louder.
