The Bauchi State Police Command has arrested a housewife, Rabi Nuhu, for allegedly setting fire to the thighs of her five-year-old stepdaughter as punishment for bedwetting in Magama Gumau, Toro Local Government Area.
Police Public Relations Officer, Ahmed Wakil, confirmed the incident in a statement on Tuesday, noting that the case was first reported on September 13, 2025. According to him, “The victim sustained burns on her lower abdomen, thighs, and buttocks. The Commissioner of Police, Sani Omolori Aliyu, ordered the immediate arrest of the culprit and directed that the case be transferred to the Criminal Investigation Department for discreet investigation.”
A local resident and human rights activist, Kabiru Mohammed, revealed that the victim lost her mother about a year ago and has since been living with her father and stepmother. He said, “The minor has been experiencing violence at the hands of her stepmother.”
Despite the father buying a separate mattress to address the child’s condition, the abuse continued. Mohammed explained that the victim eventually confided in her uncle, claiming her stepmother burned her private part because of her bedwetting habit. It was the uncle who reported the matter to the police.
The victim’s father, Mohammad Umar, admitted that his wife often complained about the girl’s bedwetting. He recounted that when he first noticed the burns, his wife told him hot tea had accidentally spilled on the child — a claim he believed until further revelations exposed the truth.
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