A 24-year-old Nigerian woman is charged with the murder of her four-day-old stepchild shortly before the child’s baby naming ceremony.
The Police Command in Bauchi State apprehended Furera Abubakar after it was suspected she killed the newborn in the Bantu village in Ningi Local Government Area of the state, according to a report in Daily Post.
In a statement provided by the Spokesman of the Command, SP Ahmed Wakil, the murder took place on Tuesday. He further explained that operatives of the Command arrested and detained Abubakar over “alleged culpable homicide.”
“The incident was reported to the Ningi Divisional Police headquarters on the 19th of August, 2023 which revealed that the four-day-old baby was born on the 15th of August, 2023 and was murdered by the suspect (Furera) on the 19th of August, 2023 before the naming ceremony,” according to the statement. “Preliminary investigation revealed that the suspect is a co-wife to the nursing mother [deceased mother].
The statement continues: “The suspect entered her co-wife’s room with liquid insecticide and applied it to the unhealed baby’s umbilical cord. The liquid suspected to be corrosive substance led to the deterioration of the baby’s health and eventual death.”
The specific charges made against the suspect will be made following an investigation currently taking place, the spokesman said.
In January, Shine My Crown reported a Georgia woman is facing life behind bars after being charged with second-degree murder in the death of a little girl.
Detectives at the Canton Police Department announced that Phillissa Diallo, 40, concealed the toddler’s death and has been accused of cruelty to children after police found the child who was pronounced death at the scene. Diallo was formally charged and taken into custody earlier this week.
Shortly after the toddler’s body was discovered, her remains were turned over to the Georgia Bureau of Investigations’ Crime Lab to conduct an autopsy and determine her identity. Investigators have not revealed the baby’s age nor did they say what condition the child’s body was in when she was found.
News of Diallo’s charges comes just months after a 39-year-old Virginia woman was arrested and charged with felony child neglect after her two-year-old son shot and wounded himself.
Christalle Phillips Moat turned herself in to authorities earlier in November after a warrant was put out for her arrest. At the time of the incident, Prince William County Police said they were looking for her after Child Protective Services called to report that she had brought her toddler to a hospital to treat a gunshot wound.
Police went to the home to investigate the shooting and found that a shot was fired inside the home earlier that day. They say Moat’s son had shot himself in the hand after being left unattended.
Detectives filed a warrant for Moat’s arrest shortly after. It would be weeks until she turned herself in to the police.
Investigations are still ongoing.
“Child neglect is one of the most common forms of child mistreatment. It can affect a child’s physical and mental health and can lead to long-term adverse consequences,” according to Very Well Family. “Child neglect springs from many complex issues, including parental mental health, poverty, and drug and alcohol use.”
