Nigerian court sentences Chinese businessman to death for murdering girlfriend

A Nigerian court has sentenced Chinese businessman Frank Geng Quarong to death after convicting him of murdering his girlfriend, Ummu Kulthum Sani, in 2022.

Quarong was found in Sani's room after fatally stabbing her multiple times, a crime that shocked the Nigerian public and garnered significant attention.

Although death sentences are infrequently executed in Nigeria, Quarong has 90 days to appeal against the verdict.

Sadiq Sani, speaking on behalf of the victim's family, expressed satisfaction with the court's decision to sentence Quarong to death by hanging, describing it as a form of justice. He asserted that those who take lives should face the same fate.

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

Family and friends remember Ummu Kulthum Sani as a kind and cheerful agriculture undergraduate.

Quarong, aged 49, had been in a relationship with Ms Sani since 2020 after they met at a shopping mall, as disclosed by Mr. Sani. Quarong was employed in Nigeria by a local textiles firm.

Ahmad Abdullahi, a family friend, recalled the tragic events surrounding Ms Sani's murder, noting the strained relationship between Quarong and Ms Sani leading up to the incident.

Neighbors reported hearing Quarong knocking aggressively on the gate of the Sani family home on the night of the murder. When Ms Sani's mother opened the gate, Quarong forcibly entered and rushed to Ms Sani's room, where he locked the door from the inside.

The commotion alerted the family, but before they could intervene, Ms Sani had already been stabbed several times. She succumbed to her injuries later in the hospital.

Nigeria currently has over 3,400 individuals on death row, with the last execution taking place in 2012.