Bauchi Police Arrest Stepmother, 19-Year-Old Over Deaths of Two Children

The Bauchi State Police Command has arrested two suspects in connection with the separate deaths of two children in Alkaleri and Ganjuwa Local Government Areas of the state.

The command’s spokesperson, SP Nafiu Habib, disclosed the arrests in a statement, explaining that the cases involved a six-year-old boy, Mubarak Ibrahim, and a five-year-old girl, Habiba Abubakar.

According to the police, the first incident occurred on October 16 in Kwaimawa village, Alkaleri Local Government Area, when Mubarak allegedly consumed a beverage given to him by his stepmother, Fatima Ibrahim, 23.

The child reportedly began vomiting uncontrollably shortly after drinking the beverage. He was taken to a Primary Health Care Centre in Kwaimawa before being transferred to the Federal Medical Centre in Gombe for further treatment.

Despite receiving medical attention for eight days, Mubarak died on October 24 after a doctor confirmed his death.

Police detectives launched an investigation following a report by the village head of Kwaimawa, leading to the arrest of the stepmother, who remains in custody as investigations continue. The police have not publicly established the cause of the child’s death or confirmed whether the beverage contained a harmful substance.

In a separate incident, five-year-old Habiba Abubakar was reported missing by her grandfather at about 7 p.m. on October 23, prompting a search by residents of the community.

Her body was discovered at about 7 a.m. the following day in a small water pit behind the village in the Ganjuwa Local Government Area.

Police operatives attached to the Soro Division secured the scene and arrested 19-year-old Sadiku Musa in connection with the girl’s death. Further details about the circumstances of her disappearance and death were not immediately available.

Both cases have been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department in Bauchi for discreet and thorough investigations.

The Commissioner of Police, Sani-Omolori Aliyu, described the incidents as heartbreaking and inhumane, assuring the bereaved families that the command would pursue justice.

He also urged parents, guardians and community leaders to pay closer attention to children’s safety and report suspicious activities to security agencies.

The police said investigations were ongoing to establish the circumstances surrounding both deaths and determine the appropriate legal action against the suspects.