The police in Bauchi State have arrested a housewife, Aisha Gaide, for allegedly burning the private parts of her eight-year-old stepdaughter with matches.
The command’s Public Relations Officer, Ahmed Wakil, who disclosed this in a statement made available to journalists in Bauchi on Tuesday, explained that the suspect was angry at the little girl and decided to burn her private parts with matches after severe beating.
He stated that the suspect was arrested and taken to the State Criminal Investigation Department.
Wakil said, “On February 15, 2021, around 6pm, the Secretary to the State Action Committee on Gender Based Violence, Mrs Talatu Musa, arrested and brought one Aisha Abdullahi Gaide of Kofar Durmi near Tudun Tarima, Bauchi, to the State Criminal Investigation Department.
“Musa complained that on February 14, 2021, around 1pm, the suspect molested her eight-year-old stepdaughter of the same address.
“The victim had allegedly defecated on her clothes while sleeping and this provoked her stepmother, Aisha, who reacted by beating her with an electric wire.
“After that, she lighted matches and put them on the victim’s private parts. As a result, she sustained high degree of burns on her private parts and some other parts of her body.”
The PPRO added that on the receipt of the information, a team of detectives was drafted and took the victim to hospital for emergency treatment.
He said the command would soon carry out a “high level investigation” to ascertain the facts of the case, after which the suspect would be charged.
Wakil added that a teenager and one other person were also arrested for allegedly gang-raping a 16-year-old mentally-ill girl in the state.
According to him, the suspects conspired among themselves and forcefully took their victim to an uncompleted building, where they had unlawful carnal knowledge of her.
The PPRO stated, “On February 11, 2021, around 4pm, one Muhammad Abubakar (50) of Tatari Ali Quarter, Azare, reported that on the same date around 3pm, one Kabiru Nuhu (20) and Ado Auwal (19) of the same address criminally conspired and had unlawful carnal knowledge of his mentally-ill daughter, aged 16, in an uncompleted building.
“On receipt of the report, a team of detectives was drafted to the scene and rushed the victim to the General Hospital, Azare, while the suspects have since been arrested.”
He said during interrogation, the suspects made voluntary confessional statements admitting to have committed the offence.
Similarly, Wakil stated that on February 3, 2021, around 5.30pm, one Prince Yohanna of the National Identity Card registration centre in the Tafawa Balewa Local Government Area of the state reported to the police that one Godiya Ishaku of the same address allegedly raped an 18-year-old girl of Dot village in the Dass Local Government Area of the state.
He explained that the suspect induced the girl and took her to an uncompleted building and inflicted an injury on her hand with a knife before raping her.

By Armstrong Bauchi