Bauchi housewife and her teenage daughter arrested for allegedly subjecting her two stepchildren to inhuman torture and starvation

The Bauchi State Police Command has arrested a housewife for subjecting her two stepchildren to inhuman torture, cruelty and starvation allegedly with the consent of their father. 

 

The housewife was arrested alongside her daughter and father of the victims by police operatives from the Township Police Station in Bauchi where a case of maltreatment was reported against them by a non-governmental organisation, Syndicate In Supporting Women And Children Initiative (SISWACHI).

 

The children, Abubakar Yakubu, 5 and Sumaiya Yakubu, 3, are currently receiving treatment at Tashan Babiye Primary Health Centre in Bauchi metropolis. 

 

It was gathered that the children's parents had divorced, leaving them in the custody of their stepmother and father. 

 

Speaking to journalists at the hospital, the children's mother, Habiba Sani Khalid, who lives in Bakin Kura area of Bauchi metropolis cried out over the alleged starvation and torture of her two children by their stepmother.

Habiba said she was unaware of the condition of her children until few days ago, alleged that her daughter Sumaiya almost died of torture by her stepmother for reasons best known to her.

 

According to her, the stepmother had been allegedly starving the children, beating them unnecessarily while the 3 years old girl was being punished with fire by her 18-year-old elder half-sister in the presence of the stepmother as commanded leaving her with no option but to carry out the heinous act on her younger sister.

 

Habiba further alleged that the elder half-sister used to put burning firewoods on the girl’s back when she is asked to clean her defecation while the stepmother often beat both Sumaiya and her five-year-old brother, Abubakar Yakubu indiscriminately even as she denied them food as and when due.

 

"The older half-sister of Sumaiya did that in the presence of her mother and their father. The matter was later exposed by neighbours who could no longer bear the pains of seeing how the children were being maltreated."