Bauchi State Police Command has arrested an 18-year-old housewife, Khadija Adamu for the offence of culpable homicide after she allegedly killed her 5-year-old stepdaughter, Hafsat Garba.
According to the Commissioner of Police, Awwal Musa Mohammad while addressing Journalists at the Command Headquarters, on 28/9/2023 at about 2125hrs, one Abdulaziz Adamu aged 38 years of Kandahar area Bauchi, reported at A’ Divisional Police Headquarters that, on the same date at about 1600hrs, one Khadija Adamu aged 18 years of the same address, beat up her stepdaughter named “Hafsat Garba” aged 5 years, as a result, she sustained serious injuries on her body.
The CP added that, upon receipt of the report, a team of Detectives led by the DPO swung into action, rushed to the scene and moved the victim to Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital (ATBUTH) Bauchi for medical attention, where she was certified dead by the medical Doctor.
Preliminary Investigations revealed that the suspect beat up the victim as a result of alleged passing of stool that spoilt her clothes leading to her sustaining various degrees of injuries on her body.
During interrogation, the suspect confessed to the alleged offence against her without much argument while investigation is still ongoing, after which the suspect will be charged to court for the established offence accordingly.
While speaking to Tribune Online, Khadija who is 4 months pregnant narrated, “Yes, I beat her with charger cable not with the intention of killing her, but, to correct her bad action for stooling all over her body when she is old enough to know the right thing to do.”
Speaking further, she said, “I did not know that she was injured until the next morning when she woke up feeling sick and she was taken to the hospital where she was confirmed dead. It was not a deliberate thing, how will I kill her when I have my own child and am pregnant with another one.”
A remorseful Khadija corrected the insinuation that she killed the little girl out of jealousy and hatred, saying, “Why would I have hated her, or be jealous of what? It was just a mistake coupled with religious belief that it was her destiny to die at that time and that I would be the cause of her death.”
Amidst sobbing, she said, “I have come to realise my mistake, even though she cannot come back to life. I am begging for forgiveness. My husband and the family have all accepted that it was her fate, and I regret my action that led to her death. I am begging all those grieving to because of God, have it at heart to forgive me.”
Speaking further in a more regrettable tone, Khadija said that, “Even if for the sake of my unborn child, I should be forgiven so that I can go back home from Police detention and have my baby in peace. I have begged Allah for forgiveness.”
Reminded that even if all those concerned have forgiven her, the law must take its course, a visibly sombre Khadija pleaded with the Police to let her go back home to face the challenges of life saying that, “I have a child to take care of and this unborn child too. I am begging them for forgiveness”.
She also begged Nigerians to forgive her and get her out of the predicament she is in now because according to her, whatever Allah has destined for a human being must actually come to pass.
