RismadarVoice Reporters
September 25, 2026
The Bauchi State Police Command has arrested two men over separate alleged killings involving a four-month-old baby and a 60-year-old woman accused of witchcraft in the state.
Police spokesperson SP Nafiu Habib disclosed this in a statement on Friday, saying the incidents occurred in Katagum and Itas/Gadau Local Government Areas on September 24.
In the first case, a 20-year-old woman from Zirami reportedly brought her four-month-old daughter, Fatimah Muhammad, to the Azare Police Division after finding the child unresponsive.
According to police, the woman said she had left the baby sleeping at home while she went to a neighbour’s house to have her hair done.
She alleged that upon returning, she found the child unresponsive and saw her 27-year-old husband leaving the room under circumstances she considered suspicious.
The mother further alleged that the suspect had previously attempted to kill the child because she became pregnant before the couple married.
Detectives subsequently took the infant to General Hospital, Azare, where she was confirmed dead.
Police said the husband was arrested and an investigation commenced, while the child’s remains were released to the family for burial.
In a separate incident, police arrested a 25-year-old man over the killing of 60-year-old Hafsatu Ya’u of Wasari Village in Gadau District.
The suspect allegedly entered the woman’s residence and attacked her after accusing her of witchcraft and blaming her for another woman’s illness.
Police said officers from Gadau Division responded to the incident and transported the victim to General Hospital, Azare, where she was later confirmed dead.
The suspect, who initially fled the scene, was subsequently arrested.
Habib said both cases remained under investigation and would be transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department in Bauchi for further investigation.
Commissioner of Police Sani-Omolori Aliyu condemned jungle justice, witchcraft-related killings and violence against women and children, warning residents against taking the law into their own hands.
