Child Cruelty Cases on the Rise in Bauchi

Another Bauchi Stepmother Arrested for Burning Stepdaughter with Hot Spoon

Paul Orude, Bauchi

Barely days after a woman was arrested for child cruelty in Bauchi State, another stepmother has been apprehended in Magama Gumau, Toro Local Government Area, for allegedly burning her stepdaughter with a hot spoon.

The Police Public Relations Officer of the command, CSP Mohammed Wakil, confirmed the incident, saying it was reported on September 13, 2025, at about 3:00 pm.

According to him, one Aminu Mohammed, 58, of Magama Gumau, reported that 28-year-old Rabi Nuhu used a hot spoon to burn her four-year-old stepdaughter, Keriya Mohammed, for urinating on her mattress.

“The victim sustained burns on her lower abdomen, thighs, and buttocks,” Wakil disclosed.

He added that the Commissioner of Police, Sani Omolori Aliyu, ordered her immediate arrest and directed that the case be transferred to the Criminal Investigation Department for discreet investigation.

Further findings revealed that the child lost her biological mother and was living with her stepmother following her father’s remarriage.

Her father, Mohammad Umar, a staff of an online television outfit, said his wife had repeatedly complained about the child’s bedwetting, prompting him to buy a separate mattress to avoid punishment.

Umar explained that he initially believed his wife’s claim that hot tea had spilled on the girl after noticing burns on her private part.

However, the victim later confided in her uncle, who became suspicious when she pleaded for a new mattress.

After persistent questioning, the girl revealed that her stepmother inflicted the injuries with a hot spoon.

The uncle promptly reported the matter to the police, leading to Rabi’s arrest.

Though she initially denied the act, she eventually confessed under interrogation. She was later granted bail while investigations continue.

This disturbing development comes barely five days after another stepmother in the same community was arrested for burning her seven-year-old stepdaughter’s private parts with a hot spoon.

The back-to-back cases have alarmed residents of Magama Gumau and beyond, who are calling on authorities to intensify public enlightenment on child protection and domestic discipline.

They noted that despite Bauchi State having domesticated the Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) Act, which the prescribes stiff penalties for perpetrators of child abuse and gender-based violence, cases of cruelty against children appear to be on the rise.