A woman named Rabi Nuhu from Magama Gumau in the Toro Local Government Area of Bauchi State has allegedly assaulted a five-year-old girl for wetting the bed.
According to reports, the child, who lost her mother roughly a year ago, now lives with her father, Mohammed Umar, and his new wife, but has reportedly faced ongoing abuse.
Local resident and human rights advocate, Kabiru Mohammed Abdulkadir, claimed that the girl had been subjected to physical abuse for approximately five days before the situation was discovered.
“To avoid issues with the stepmother, her father bought a separate mattress for her, but her stepmother didn’t stop the violence. The victim met her uncle to buy another mattress for her, saying that her stepmother had burnt her private part because she bed wet often.
“It was her uncle who escalated the matter and reported it to the police. We also gathered that the suspect normally transfers aggression between her and the victim’s father to her,” he said.
The victim’s father, Umar, who works with an online television station, said his wife had repeatedly complained about the child’s bedwetting, prompting him to buy a separate mattress. He explained that he initially believed his wife’s claim that hot tea had spilled on the girl after noticing burns on her private part.
The spokesperson for the Bauchi State Police Command, CSP Mohammed Wakil, confirmed the incident, stating that it was reported on September 13, 2025, at about 3:00 p.m.
“The victim sustained burns on her lower abdomen, thighs, and buttocks,” Wakil said.
He added that the Commissioner of Police, Sani Omolori Aliyu, had ordered the immediate arrest of the suspect and directed that the case be transferred to the Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) for discreet investigation.