The Bauchi State Police Command has arrested two suspects in connection with 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.
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 said that upon returning, she found the baby lifeless and allegedly saw her husband suspiciously coming out of the room.
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.
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 and is currently undergoing preliminary investigation, while the child’s remains were released to relatives for burial.
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 corpse was released to her relatives for burial while the suspect was arrested.
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.