The escalating wave of gang violence in Kano State has taken a horrific turn, as ordinary residents increasingly fall victim to brutal revenge killings carried out by armed thugs.
Last weekend, a deadly clash between rival gangs in the Kurna Mayanka, Yan Yashi, and Tudun Fulani areas resulted in the deaths of four individuals. One of the victims, Usman Hamidan, was gruesomely murdered inside his family home.
In an exclusive interview with DAILY POST, Usman’s mother, Hajiya Habi Hamidan, a paralysed octogenarian, recounted the harrowing events of that night, which left her emotionally and physically devastated.
“They broke into our home around midnight while I was lying helpless in my room. I heard my son screaming from the courtyard as they attacked him. When I managed to look out, I saw four masked men. I begged them in tears not to kill him, but they told me they were under orders and wouldn’t leave until he was dead,” she said.
According to Hajiya Habi, the attackers beheaded her son in her presence, with his remains left in a pool of blood.
“They slaughtered him like an animal. His brains spilled on the ground. They even licked the blood off their knives. It was like a slaughterhouse. He was my only child – the one who fed me, cared for me, and supported me since I became paralysed. Allah will judge them,” she sobbed.
Usman’s killing is one of several recent attacks in Kurna, located in Ungogo Local Government Area, where suspected gang members have reportedly begun storming homes to execute targeted killings.
Chairman of the local vigilante group, Alhaji Bashir Lawal Moriki, placed part of the blame on parents who shield their delinquent children, thereby enabling criminal activity.
“These boys come from within our community – they’re not outsiders. Parents must take responsibility. Even if my own son committed such atrocities, I would hand him over to the authorities,” he said.
Another victim, a young security guard named Sabiu, narrowly escaped death after being attacked with knives. Still nursing visible wounds, he narrated his ordeal.
“They shone a blinding light into my eyes. Before I realised what was happening, I was being cut and beaten. Look at the wounds on my head,” he explained.
Residents have pointed to rampant drug abuse among local youth as a driving force behind the rising violence. They also accused the police of indiscriminate arrests following attacks, which they claim further heightens fear and mistrust in the community.
During a visit to the affected areas, Kano State Commissioner for Internal Security, Air Vice Marshal Ibrahim Umar (Rtd.), advised residents to take necessary precautions and defend themselves when under threat, pending the arrival of security operatives.
Efforts by DAILY POST to obtain a response from the spokesperson of the Kano State Police Command on the allegations of indiscriminate arrests and the status of ongoing investigations were unsuccessful.
This latest wave of violence signals a disturbing shift in Kano’s security landscape, with gangs now carrying out killings within homes – a departure from the previously more visible, street-level clashes.
