A Kano State High Court on Friday acquitted and acquitted a woman, Fatima Dahiru, who had been tried for the alleged murder of her co-wife, Wasila Yunusa, in Farawa Ward of Kumbotso Local Government Area.
Fatima had been prosecuted on a charge of manslaughter.
Earlier, the prosecutor, Lamido Abba-Sorondinki, told the court that the offense was committed on February 6, 2019, at about 3:30 pm at Farawa Quarters, Kano.
He alleged that Fatima hit Wasila on the head with a sharp object, which later caused her death. The prosecution called seven witnesses, including the deceased’s husband, Isyaku Muhammad, who testified as the fifth prosecution witness.
In handing down the sentence, Judge Zuwaira Yusuf ruled that the prosecution failed to prove its case beyond a reasonable doubt and described the evidence presented as weak and riddled with contradictions.
“None of the prosecution witnesses were eyewitnesses to the murder and no credible evidence was presented to show how the accused allegedly killed the deceased,” the judge said.
He added that the prosecution failed to adequately establish the crime and emphasized that suspicion alone is not enough to secure a conviction.
“The prosecution unfortunately failed to establish the crime. The accused, Fatima Dahiru, is hereby found not guilty of the single charge of culpable homicide. She is hereby released and acquitted,” Judge Yusuf ruled.