A domestic dispute turned tragic in Kano after a woman allegedly set her co-wife, two children and their husband ablaze in the Hotoro area of the metropolis.
The incident, which occurred late Monday night in the Mai Allo area of Hotoro quarters, left residents in shock as the suspect, identified as Maryam Muhammad, was taken into custody by operatives of the Nigeria Police Force.
The victims, Firdausi Musa, 28, and her two children, Khadija Ya’u, 7, and Ismail Ya’u, 3, reportedly sustained severe burns during the attack.
They are currently receiving medical treatment at National Orthopaedic Hospital, Dala and Murtala Muhammad Specialist Hospital.
Their husband, identified simply as Malam Saminu, was also said to have suffered burns while attempting to rescue the victims from the fire.
Speaking on the incident, the victim’s younger brother, Buhari Musa Sa’ad, said the family received a distress call around 3am informing them that his sister and her children had been set on fire.
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 affected are from her previous marriage and are stepchildren to the husband, who works as a tricycle operator,” he said.
Another relative, Rukayya, alleged that Firdausi had previously complained about threats and intimidation from her co-wife before the attack.
“We were here when she was brought in, and she personally told us that her co-wife poured petrol on her and set her ablaze,” she said.
Rukayya further disclosed that the victim had temporarily left the house earlier in the day due to repeated threats, but later returned after intervention from her husband.
Efforts to obtain an official reaction from the Kano State Police Command were unsuccessful as of the time of filing this report.