Nafiu Isyaku Rabiu

Nafiu Isyaku Rabiu is a prominent businessman from Kano who became infamous for killing his wife. He is the eldest son of the late Alhaji Isyaku Rabiu, a well respected Sheikh and businessman. His younger brother Abdulsamad Rabiu is the second richest individual in Nigeria and fourth wealthiest in Africa.

Rabiu underwent a legal process initiated by the Kano state government, which attracted significant attention within the state. The legal proceedings took place in a courtroom overseen by Kano's last British judge, who ultimately declared him not guilty. However, the verdict led to substantial public outcry and allegations of corruption, prompting a subsequent trial overseen by a Nigerian judge. In this new trial, Rabiu was found guilty of culpable homicide not punishable with death and subsequently incarcerated by the Court of Appeal of the country on 5 May 1980. This particular murder case, titled Nafiu Rabiu v. Kano state, left a mark on both the legal history of Nigeria and the consciousness of the state's populace. The courtroom where the trial took place is now colloquially referred to as "Kotun Nafiu" or "Nafiu's Court." His wife, Fatima, was a daughter of Tijjani Aliyu Dagazau, another affluent businessman in Kano.

Nafiu Rabiu v. Kano state

Background On 9 May 1979, Nafiu and Fatima hosted three of their friends in the garden of their Dawaki Road residence in Kano. The District Head of Jahun was among the guests, leaving the residence between 10 p.m. and 11p.m. According to him, Fatima "was quite alright" when he left them. Nafiu's driver and cook also confirmed that they left Fatima "in good health, joking...", before retiring for the night.

At around 2 p.m., Nafiu's children were driven home, at his request, by one of his other drivers. Upon their arrival, the children went to Fatima's room. Subsequently, they alerted the cook, concerned after their mother was not responding to their calls. The cook suggested that they wait for Nafiu to return before taking any further action. Consequently, the cook contacted Nafiu and informed him of the situation. Nafiu promptly returned home shortly thereafter. Together, they all proceeded to the room, where they found her lifeless body. Signs of froth were apparent in her mouth and nostrils, and there were wounds on various parts of her body, including her back. Medical evidence was provided by Dr. Bansi Badan Tribedi, a senior Consultant Pathologist on the Kano Health services management board who carried out the autopsy on the body of the deceased. He noted that the deceased's likely cause of death was “due to asphyxia resulting from strangulation; choking by hands.” Furthermore, the Court "set aside the order of acquittal and convicted the appellant of the offence of culpable homicide not punishable with death contrary to Section 222(4) and punishable under Section 224 of the Penal Code, and sentenced him to 4 years imprisonment."

Nafiu spent "a few years in jail" before being released and have since been free.