Mother sets 10-year-old daughter ablaze

A mother of five, Aisha Tijani, has allegedly set her 10-year-old daughter on fire in Ogun State, the police have said.

Officers arrested the woman on Sunday for “pouring petrol on her 10 years old daughter and setting her ablaze” after her neighbour, one Moroof Ayinde, reported to the Mowe Police Division.

According to the police, Mr Ayinde had reported that the suspect, who lives in the same house with him, poured petrol on her little daughter and set her ablaze.

Mr Ayinde further said the woman assaulted her daughter because she gave a phone she seized from one of her other children, back to the owner.

The spokesperson of the Ogun state police command, Abimbola Oyeyemi, said in a press statement Tuesday that upon the report, the Divisional Police Officer at Mowe Division, Folashade Tanaruno, moved to the scene with detectives and promptly arrested the suspect.

Mr Oyeyemi said the daughter, who was severely burnt, was rushed to a nearby hospital, and then referred to the Olabisi Onabanjo Teaching Hospital (OOUTH), in Sagamu local government area.

“On interrogation, the suspect, who claimed to have been separated from the father of the children, explained to the police that she didn’t know what came over her when she was carrying out the wicked act.”

The Commissioner of Police, Lanre Bankole, has ordered that case be transferred to the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligent Department for investigation.