Haruna Bashir, whose wife, Fatima Abubakar, and six children were allegedly killed by his 23-year-old nephew, Umar Awwalu, has become one of the beneficiaries of Kano State’s mass wedding programme. The ceremony, organised by the Hizba, the state’s Sharia enforcement agency, was held Friday at the Emir’s Palace Mosque in Kano.

Bashir was among 1,500 couples benefiting from the mass wedding sponsored by the Kano State Government across the state’s 44 local government areas. During his wedding, Gov. Abba Kabir Yusuf served as his guardian, while Emir of Kano Muhammad Sanusi II represented the bride as her guardian. A dowry of N300,000 was paid during the ceremony, which followed Islamic marriage requirements, including witnesses and the declaration of marriage vows known as Siga.

The other ceremonies were conducted across the 44 LGAs, with district heads representing the emir as guardians of brides and local government chairmen standing in for the governor as guardians of grooms. The programme is aimed at supporting couples through organised marriages sponsored by the state government.

Bashir suffered the devastating loss on Jan. 17, 2026, when his wife and six children were allegedly brutally murdered at Dorayi Charanchi Quarters in Kano metropolis. Awwalu, identified as his wife’s nephew, was accused in connection with the killings. Following the tragedy, Gov. Yusuf provided Bashir with a house, while a substantial amount of money was also raised to help him rebuild his life after the loss of his family.