A seven-year-old girl has been hospitalised in Bauchi State after her brother’s wife allegedly burnt her private part with a hot knife in a brutal assault linked to witchcraft accusations.
The victim, identified only as Habiba (not real name), was attacked by her sister-in-law, Suwaira Ibrahim, in Magama Gumau, Toro Local Government Area, after being accused of belonging to a group of “witches.”
According to community activist Kabiru Mohammed Abdulkadir, trouble began when Suwaira’s child claimed to have seen the little girl among witches during the night. Acting on the suspicion, the suspect reportedly took the victim to a self-styled spiritualist, who later absolved the child of any witchcraft.
“But when she returned home, she heated a knife and pressed it on the girl’s private part, insisting that if she was truly a witch, she would not feel pain,” Abdulkadir told journalists.
He added that neighbours were drawn to the house by the child’s loud cries. “When we rushed in, we met her writhing in pain. We insisted the matter must be reported to the police,” he said.
A video circulating online shows the victim’s private part and thighs severely charred and decaying, with residents lamenting that the stench from the wound has engulfed the home. Reports also indicated that the girl now struggles to urinate and defecate.
She has since been rushed to the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital (ATBUTH), Bauchi, where doctors are battling to save her life.
Confirming the incident, Bauchi State Police Public Relations Officer, CSP Ahmed Wakil, said the case was first reported at the Toro Divisional Headquarters before being transferred to the State Command.
“We are aware of the matter. Initially, some people attempted to cover it up at the community level, but we insisted it must come to the Command. A full statement will be issued as soon as investigations progress,” Wakil stated.
Meanwhile, rights activists have condemned the attack, describing it as another grim reminder of how superstition and harmful traditional practices endanger children, particularly girls, in rural communities.
They have called on the Bauchi State Government, the Ministry of Women Affairs, and child protection agencies to ensure justice is served and to intensify campaigns against witchcraft-related abuses.
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