20-year-old Woman Remanded over Alleged Murder of Co-wife in Kano

A Chief Magistrates’ Court in Kano has ordered the remand of a 20-year-old woman, Safiya Hussaini, in a correctional facility over the alleged murder of her co-wife.

Hussaini, who lives in Loko town in Takai Local Government Area of Kano State, was arraigned before Chief Magistrates’ Court No. 2 on a charge of culpable homicide.

According to the police, the offence is punishable under Section 221 of the Penal Code.

The First Information Report (FIR) presented before the court alleged that an argument broke out between the defendant and her co-wife before it escalated into violence. Prosecutors claimed Hussaini allegedly attacked the victim with a cutlass, inflicting injuries that later proved fatal.

When the charge was read, the prosecution informed the court that it lacked the jurisdiction to prosecute culpable homicide cases at that level. It therefore applied for an adjournment to enable it obtain legal advice from the Kano State Ministry of Justice before proceeding further.

Presiding over the matter, Chief Magistrate Auwal Yusuf Sulaiman granted the application and adjourned the case for two weeks.

The court also ordered that Hussaini be remanded in a correctional centre pending further proceedings.

The allegations remain before the court, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in accordance with the law.