Bauchi: Police To Exhume Body of 2-Year-Old Allege Rape Victim   

From Paul Orude Bauchi

As public outrage trails death of a two- year-old suspected victim of rape in Bauchi State, the police are set to exhume the body for forensic investigation.

Ummi Salma, 2, was dumbed in a mosque in Newada area of Ningi, wrapped in clothes.

According to the police, medical report at the General Hospital Ningi confirmed the minor was raped.

Two days later, the mother of Ummi, her boyfriend who is the father of the girl, and two others were arrested by the police in connection with the death.

Addressing journalists at the police headquarters on Friday while parading the suspects,  Ahmed Wakili, the  Public Relations Officer for the command, revealed that  the body would be exhumed for forensic purpose to unravel the true cause of death.

The PPRO said that the issue of  alleged rape was being thoroughly investigated hence the decision to exhume the body for forensic purposes.

Wakil, a Superintendent of Police, explained that the forensic would establish the report of the Medical Doctor at the General Hospital in Ningi which confirmed there was rape.

The bereaved mother, Laratu Saleh,  and other suspects however denied the allegation of rape.

Saleh narrated that her daughter had taken  ill and she took her to a chemist where she was attended to but died the next day.

She said her late daughter only had blisters in her lips  and a small wound on her ear.

Saleh admitted giving birth to Ummi out of wedlock as she was got pregnant by her boyfriend, Abubakar Usman, 23, a commercial motorcycle operator, was also arrested by the police in connection with Ummi’s death..

Also arrested was a Community Health Worker who operated a  medicine store where first aid was administered on Ummi when  the mother took her there after she fell sick.

The elder brother of the moher who volunteered to take the dead girl to the father who failed to show up when his daughter was ill was also arrested by the police . 

Usman while being interrogated by journalists,  said he was called by his ex girlfriend that the baby  was sick but could not attend to her because his wife was in labour.

He said his brother in-law later brought  her dead body and gave to him and left. 

Usman said he became confused as his family  was unaware of his secret child delivered out of wedlock and decided to dumb her dead body in a mosque.

He denied that the girl was raped and insisted she died a natural death as he didn’t see any sign of abuse.

According to him, he regretted his action and pleaded for forgiveness from all those affected by his actions particularly his immediate family.

Aminu, the Community Health Worker (CHEW) who treated late Ummi Salma said that he did that as a means of first aid to save her life considering the condition she was when she was brought to his Chemist.

He said that he is a licensed Chemist having graduated from the College of Health Technology as a CHEW and decided to open his own patent medicine store in the locality stressing that he has been treating people over the years without any complications.

Aminu added that he directed them to take her to the General Hospital Ningi as soon as possible but did not know the reason they decided to keep her at home leading to the death.

A medical doctor at the General  confirmed Ummi dead with traces of blood from her vagina indicating forced penetration.