Police nab 18-year-old housewife who threw stepson into well

The police in Katsina State have arrested an 18-year-old housewife, Maryam Habibu, for allegedly drowning her four-year-old stepson in a well in the Kafur Local Government Area of the state.

Habibu of Leko village, Danja Local Government Area of the state, was paraded on Friday at the Police Command Headquarters, Katsina alongside 11 other suspects held for various offences, ranging from banditry, and kidnapping to cattle rustling.

The command’s spokesman, SP Gambo Isah, who briefed journalists during the parade, said the teenage housewife was arrested on November 9, 2022.

According to him, Habibu allegedly went to where the late boy was staying, lured him out and then threw him inside a well.

Isah said Habibu and the victim’s father were an estranged couple.

Speaking briefly to journalists in the Hausa language, Habibu admitted to the crime, saying it was destiny at play.

She said, “It’s true I threw the boy inside the well where he died but it has been destined that he would die on that day. That is why he died.”

Among the other paraded suspects was a 50-year-old ward head (Mainunguwa) at Gobirawa village, Faskari Local Government Area of the state, Surajo Madawaki, who allegedly conspired with terrorists to kill a farmer.

The police spokesman said the 35-year-old farmer, Yahaya Danbai, had courageously overpowered, disarmed and killed a terrorist who attacked him on his farm on 19, October 2022, before the ward head later allegedly connived with other terrorists to attack and kill the farmer.

The PPRO said, “The terrorists also placed N10m ransom on the community for the killing of one of their members. They said they would kill everyone in the village if Danbai was not delivered to them. Since then, the said ward head, Surajo Madawaki, went to hiding until when he was eventually arrested by a team of policemen.”

Maidawaki, in a chat with journalists, however, denied inviting terrorists to the village.