Fatima Dzuma, a resident of Lafiyagi Dzwafu village in the Katcha Local Government Area of Niger State, is accused of allegedly murdering her husband, Baba, in a shocking act that has left the community in disbelief.
According to a local resident, Baba married Dzuma three years ago after her divorce from her first husband. Dzuma had no children with Baba, although she had one child from her previous marriage.
Meanwhile, Baba’s first wife recently gave birth, with preparations for the naming ceremony underway.
Dzuma reportedly confessed, saying she killed her husband because she “no longer liked him.”
She allegedly strangled him with a scarf and struck him twice on the head and once on the hand with a pestle while he was asleep, breaking his hand.
After killing him, Dzuma wrapped his body in a mat, dragged it to the backyard, and cleaned the scene. For three days, she denied knowing his whereabouts, even as Baba’s family searched frantically.
However, Dzuma later admitted, “I acted alone.”
She is currently in police custody, pleading for mercy and claiming, “The devil made me do it.”
The police have confirmed the arrest, stating that investigations are ongoing.
Confirming the report, Wasiu Abiodun, the Niger State Police Public Relations Officer said, on 31 December 2024, the lifeless body of 25-year-old Baba Aliyu was discovered in a bush near Katcha, Niger State.
The police, led by operatives from Katcha Division, responded promptly to the scene.
Police further revealed that Dzuma, 27, admitted to killing him after a violent altercation. Fatima explained that her husband had beaten her during the argument, and later, while he slept, she struck him on the head with a pestle, resulting in his death.
Afterward, Dzuma tied the body with clothes and rope, wrapped it in a mat, and discarded it in the bush to cover up the crime.
The body was sent to Bida General Hospital for a post-mortem examination. Fatima was arrested and is currently in custody, awaiting transfer to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) in Minna for further investigation and prosecution.
