The Bauchi State Police Command has arrested two suspects in connection with the alleged strangulation of a four-month-old baby and the killing of a 60-year-old woman accused of witchcraft. The incidents occurred in Zirami, Azare, and Gadau areas of the state on Thursday. According to the police, the suspects are currently undergoing preliminary investigation.
In the first incident, a 27-year-old man, Muhammad Garba Ladan, was arrested after his wife reported the death of their four-month-old daughter, Fatimah Muhammad, at Azare Division. The mother, aged 20, reportedly told the police that she had left the baby sleeping at home and gone to a neighbour’s house for hairdressing. She alleged that upon returning, she found the baby lifeless and saw her husband suspiciously coming out of the room.
The police said detectives attached to the Azare Division rushed the child to the General Hospital, where a doctor confirmed that she had died from alleged strangulation. The suspect was subsequently arrested, while the child’s remains were released to relatives for burial. According to the police, the woman alleged that her husband had previously made several unsuccessful attempts to kill the child, whose pregnancy reportedly occurred before the couple got married.
In a separate incident in Gadau, police arrested 25-year-old Haruna Amadu of Kuka Buni village for allegedly killing a 60-year-old woman, Hafsatu Ya’u, who he accused of being a witch. The police said the suspect allegedly trespassed into the victim’s residence at Wasari village, Gadau District, at about 7am on Thursday and attacked her with a knife.
The victim was reportedly stabbed in the chest and other parts of her body, while the suspect allegedly accused her of causing the illness of one Maryam Amadu of Kuka Buni Village. Police detectives attached to the Gadau Division evacuated the victim to the General Hospital, Azare, for treatment, but she was later pronounced dead by a doctor.
The Police Public Relations Officer, SP Nafiu Habib, said both cases were under investigation and would be transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department for further investigation. The Commissioner of Police, Sani-Omolori Aliyu, condemned witchcraft-related killings and violence against women and children, warning residents against taking the law into their own hands.
The Commissioner of Police emphasized the need for residents to report cases of suspected witchcraft and other forms of violence to the police, rather than taking the law into their own hands. The police have assured that they will thoroughly investigate the incidents and bring the perpetrators to justice.
Key points
- - Two suspects were arrested in Bauchi for alleged strangulation of a four-month-old baby and killing of a 60-year-old woman accused of witchcraft. - The incidents occurred in Zirami, Azare, and Gadau areas of the state on Thursday. - The Commissioner of Police condemned witchcraft-related killings and violence against women and children.
