Police arrest woman for allegedly killing co-wife with a pestle in Bauchi

Bauchi State police have arrested a 33-year-old woman for allegedly striking her older co-wife to death with a pestle.

The incident happened on Sunday afternoon at the Tafawa Balewa Housing Estate in Bauchi, where the suspect, Hauwa’u, reportedly attacked the first wife, 43-year-old Jamila Adamu, inside the home they shared with their husband.

The Bauchi State Police Command confirmed the arrest on Monday, through its spokesperson, SP Nafiu Habib, stressing that police officers were deployed to the house immediately after receiving a distress call around 4:05 p.m.

Preliminary investigations revealed that the suspect Hauwa’u was experiencing hallucinations when she picked up a pestle and hit Adamu on the forehead which caused her to collapse immediately.

Police officers moved the victim to the Specialist Hospital in Bauchi, where a medical doctor pronounced her dead. Her body is currently at the mortuary awaiting an autopsy. Meanwhile, officers arrested Hauwa’u at the scene and recovered the pestle to use as evidence.

The State Commissioner of Police, CP Sani-Omolori Aliyu, sent his condolences to the grieving family and warned the public against domestic violence. He also advised families to pay attention to mental health issues, urging them to quickly seek medical and psychological support for relatives showing signs of mental distress.

The case has now been moved to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID). Detectives will conduct a full investigation to uncover exactly what led to the tragic death before the suspect faces prosecution.