In Tukur neighbourhood of Zaria, Kaduna State, a mother named Khadija is accused of murdering her daughter Fadila, age 11.
The sad event reportedly occurred on Saturday, right before the Maghrib prayer.
After accusing her daughter of stealing ₦100 she had received during the festivities of Sallah, Khadija allegedly beat her with a pestle.
The area was outraged by the occurrence, and several locals refused to go to the girl’s burial, calling it a great injustice.
One woman in the area claimed, “This is not the first time she has beaten the girl. Whenever there’s a problem with her hawking, she beats her like she’s not even her child.”
Another neighbour added, “We refused to pray over her because justice was denied. Everyone acted like nothing seriously happened.”
The woman’s husband, Malam Mustapha Musa, said he was not at home when the incident occurred.
“I came back to meet the situation. I don’t know how it happened,” he told local reporters.
Khadija, however, denied intentionally killing her daughter. “Yes, I beat her, but I didn’t mean to kill her. It was only the children at home at the time,” she said.
Fadila’s father took her body to their hometown in Kano State for burial and funeral rites. “I’ve left everything to God,” he said.
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A local vigilante official said they initially invited Khadija and her husband for questioning, but stepped aside after the police arrived to take over the case.
The Kaduna State Police Command’s spokesperson, DSP Mansur Hassan, is yet to make comments on the issue.
