Police have arrested a woman in Kaduna for allegedly torturing her four-year-old stepson.
The woman, Amina Yakubu, is accused of frequently beating the boy, pouring cold water on him and abusing him with a hot pressing iron.
The boy, Al-amin Yakubu, lives with her at Kura Street Layin Aminu Kano Mando in Kaduna, after his father divorced his mother 10 months ago.
The case was reported to the police by a Kaduna-based civil society organizations, Arrida Relief Foundation of Nigerian.
The suspect, in an interview at Mando police outpost, Kawo Division, said the boy was attacked by a dog.
But her neighbours told PREMIUM TIMES that the torture of the victim had been going on for 10 months.
“She beats the little boy to pulp every day and pours cold water on him,” said one neighbour who refused to give his name. “We even thought she had some kind of mental problem because pupils in the nursery where she teaches also suffer from her frequent beatings.”
Yakubu Yusuf, a plumber and father of the boy, confirmed the torture, and said he was prepared to divorce the woman.
He expressed shock when contacted, and claimed he did not know about the torture.
“I never noticed that she always subjected Al-Amin to this inhuman act until now because I only return home in the night after I left for work in the morning,” he said.
Rabi Salisu, founder of Arrida Relief Foundation, called on the state government to take drastic measures against rampant cases of torture and rape of minor in the state.
“If she says a dog attacked Al-Amin, then how come, the dog did not attack her biological daughter who is about the age of Al-Amin?” Rabi asked.
Police spokeperson, Aliyu Usman, said a full report was still expected from the division and assured that, the police would make public their findings as soon as investigation are concluded.
