Nigerian court sentences Chinese businessman to death for murdering girlfriend

Ummu Kulthum Sani had been in a relationship with Frank Geng Quarong for two years before she was murdered

A Nigerian court has sentenced a Chinese businessman to death after being found guilty of murdering his girlfriend Ummu Kulthum Sani in 2022.

Frank Geng Quarong was discovered in her room after having stabbed her several times there.

The killing of the 22-year-old university student shocked Nigerians and the case was closely followed.

Death sentences are rarely carried out in Nigeria. Quarong has 90 days to appeal against the verdict.

Speaking on behalf of the family, the victim's brother, Sadiq Sani, described the sentence of death by hanging handed down by the court in Kano as justice. He said that whoever kills anyone deserved to be killed too.

"We thank God for showing us this day... I pray that my sister's soul continues to rest in peace," he told the BBC.

Her family remember the young agriculture undergraduate as kind and jovial.

Quarong, 49, and Ms Sani had been in a relationship since 2020 after having met in a shopping mall, according to Mr Sani.

He was in the country working for a Nigerian textiles firm.

Talking shortly after the killing in September 2022, family friend Ahmad Abdullahi described what had happened.

He remembered coming to the family home and seeing that "a lot of people had gathered outside the house".

"That was when we knew something bad had happened. Geng was her boyfriend and had good relations with her family prior to that day.

"Before the incident they were having issues as she was no longer interested and he didn't want to let go."

According to neighbours, on the night of the killing Quarong was heard knocking heavily on the gate to the Sani family home.

When Ms Sani's mother opened the gate he pushed her aside and rushed straight to Ms Sani's room, locking it from the inside.

Her shouts and cries attracted the family and before anyone could break down the door to help she had been stabbed several times.

She died later in hospital.

Nigeria currently has more than 3,400 people on death row and the last execution was carried out in 2012.