Farmer docked for killing step-daughter with pesticide

According to the police, one Ali Lega who is the father-in- law to the accused, reported at Damasak police station on the March 10, 2006 that his daughter, Fatima Zara Ali, left her child, Hadiza in the care of her husband before she went to fetch water. Hadiza was of a different father and lived […]

According to the police, one Ali Lega who is the father-in- law to the accused, reported at Damasak police station on the March 10, 2006 that his daughter, Fatima Zara Ali, left her child, Hadiza in the care of her husband before she went to fetch water. Hadiza was of a different father and lived with Kariya as his step daughter since he was married to the girl’s mother.

Lega also told the police that before Fatima returned from the stream, the accused had forced the little girl to drink a poisonous substance meant for farming purpose and as a result, the girl became unconscious and started vomiting blood from her mouth and nose. He added that little Hadiza was rushed to the General Hospital, Damasak, where she was later confirmed dead by doctors.

At the continuation of hearing during the week, mother of the deceased and wife of the accused, Fatima who testified against Ali, corroborated her father’s statement to the police. She however added that the accused claimed to have only fed the girl with water. The woman has since divorced Kariya following the incident.

The police tendered a ‘confessional statement’ made by Kariya, admitting that he killed the girl as claimed by the complainants. Kariya, the statement noted, told the police that he married Fatima and allowed her to bring in another man’s daughter into his house because she had earlier divorced her former husband while he himself had divorced his wife who bore him a boy named Ali. He however said that Fatima never liked Ali junior and this prompted him to take the boy to another place and since he pushed away his son, he requested that Fatima too, should take her deceased daughter to another place so that the couples would   live alone but that she refused.

Kariya, the statement added, was annoyed with his wife’s decision to hold on to her daughter and this made him to mix pesticide with water and force Hadiza to drink,  which  led to her death.

The man was charged with culpable homicide punishable with death under section 221 of the penal code. The presiding judge, Justice Abdullahi Sanya Yerima, adjourned the case to 26th of May for continuation of hearing.