Shock and anger have gripped Magama Gumau in Toro Local Government Area of Bauchi State after a five-year-old girl, already motherless, was allegedly brutalised by her stepmother for bed-wetting.
The child, who lost her mother about a year ago, had been living with her father, Mohammed Umar, and his second wife, Rabi Nuhu. But neighbours say her life in the home has been filled with pain and abuse.
According to reports, the girl endured five days of beatings and, most horrifically, burns inflicted on her body. Unable to bear the torment, she confided in her uncle, pleading for a new mattress and revealing that her stepmother had burnt her private part because she wet the bed too often.
The disclosure triggered outrage and a report to the Toro Police Division.
Human rights activist and member of the Bauchi State Child Protection Network, Kabiru Mohammed Abdulkadir, condemned the act.
“The stepmother often transferred her frustrations with her husband to the child. It is heartbreaking to see a minor suffer such cruelty,” he told our correspondent.
The girl’s father, Umar, a media worker, said he was misled by his wife’s explanation when he first noticed burns on the child. “She told me hot tea spilled on her, and I believed her. I didn’t know the truth until the matter came out,” he said regretfully.
Confirming the incident, Bauchi State Police Command spokesperson, CSP Mohammed Wakil, said the case was reported on September 13, 2025, around 3:00 p.m. “The victim sustained burns on her lower abdomen, thighs, and buttocks. The Commissioner of Police, Sani Omolori Aliyu, has ordered the immediate arrest of the suspect. The case has been transferred to the Criminal Investigation Department for discreet investigation,” Wakil stated.
The incident has sparked heated conversations in Bauchi about the plight of vulnerable children, especially those living with stepparents and relatives. For residents of Magama Gumau, the image of a little girl scarred for life over something as natural as bed-wetting remains a haunting reminder of the urgent need to protect children from violence within their homes.
By Lizzy Carr, Bauchi
