A 28-year-old woman, Firdausi Musa, and her two children are battling for survival after they were allegedly set ablaze by her co-wife, Maryam Muhammad, in the Hotoro area of Kano metropolis.
The incident, which occurred late Monday night at the Mai Allo area of Hotoro quarters, has left residents in shock, while the suspect is currently being held at the Mariri Police Division.
The victims — Khadija Ya’u, 7, and Ismail Ya’u, 3 — sustained severe burns alongside their mother and are receiving treatment at the National Orthopaedic Hospital, Dala, and the Murtala Muhammad Specialist Hospital in Kano.
Their father, Malam Saminu, was also injured while attempting to rescue the victims from the raging fire.
Firdausi’s younger brother, Buhari Musa Sa’ad, said the family received a distress call around 3 a.m. informing them that the woman and her children had been attacked in their home.
According to him, Firdausi had spent less than two weeks in the matrimonial home before the incident occurred.
“She is about 28 years old. The children who were burned are from her previous marriage. They are stepchildren to the husband, who works as a tricycle rider,” he said.
A relative of the victim, Rukayya, told Daily Trust that Firdausi had previously complained about threats and intimidation allegedly from the co-wife before the attack.
“We were here when she was brought in, and she personally told us that it was her co-wife who poured petrol on her and lit a match,” Rukayya said.
She added that Firdausi had temporarily left the house earlier that day due to repeated threats but later returned following intervention by her husband.
Attempts to get an official reaction from the Kano State Police Command were unsuccessful as of the time of filing this report.
Source: Daily Trust
