Police Arrest Suspect, Hunt Two Others for Allegedly Killing Woman Accused of Witchcraft in Bauchi

• The Bauchi State Police Command has arrested one suspect and launched a manhunt for two others over the killing of a 30-year-old woman, Habse Ubale, who was allegedly hacked to death after being accused of witchcraft in Garin Malam Village.

The Bauchi State Police Command has arrested one suspect and is hunting for two others in connection with the killing of a 30-year-old woman, Habse Ubale, who was allegedly hacked to death after being accused of witchcraft in Garin Malam Village, Gamawa Local Government Area of the state. The Police Public Relations Officer, SP Nafiu Habib, disclosed this in a statement issued on Friday, July 31, 2026, saying the suspects were being investigated for criminal conspiracy, house trespass, assault and culpable homicide. According to him, the incident was reported to the Gamawa Divisional Police Headquarters on July 29 by a 45-year-old resident of the community.

Habib said preliminary findings showed that on July 28 at about 2:28am, the principal suspect, identified as Garba Daudu (35) , allegedly conspired with two others, identified as Ya’u Garba and Musa, who is yet to be fully identified, to invade the residence of one Audu Sabo. The suspects attacked Audu Sabo on the allegation that his wife, Habse Ubale, was a witch. During the attack, the suspects also assaulted Sale Audu (12) and Yakubu Audu (14) with sticks, while Habse Ubale was attacked with a machete. As a result, all the victims sustained varying degrees of serious injuries. The police spokesman said a combined team of police operatives, hunters and vigilantes was immediately deployed to the scene, while the victims were evacuated to the General Hospital, Gamawa, for treatment. He added that Ubale was later confirmed dead by a medical doctor, while one of the injured victims remained on admission and the other two victims were treated and discharged.

READ ALSO:

• Woman Strangles Co-wife’s 3-Year-Old Daughter to Death in Kwara
• Court Awards N12m Damages Against Police for Abduction, Unlawful Detention of Journalist
• INEC Rejects Jonathan’s 2027 Presidential Nomination Submitted by PDP Faction

Habib added that police operatives swiftly arrested one suspect, while efforts had been intensified to apprehend the two fleeing suspects. He said the case had been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department in Bauchi for discreet investigation and possible prosecution. The Commissioner of Police in the state, CP Sani-Omolori Aliyu, condemned the killing, warning residents against jungle justice and acts of violence driven by superstition. He assured the public that the command remained committed to ensuring justice for the victim and bringing all those involved in the crime to justice.

The command urged residents to remain calm, law-abiding and provide credible information that could assist security operatives in arresting the remaining suspects. The police reiterated their commitment to protecting lives and property and called on community members to refrain from taking the law into their own hands.

Police Arrest Suspect, Hunt Two Others for Allegedly Killing Woman Accused of Witchcraft in Bauchi

Woman Strangles Co-wife’s 3-Year-Old Daughter to Death in Kwara

• The Kwara State Police Command has arrested Sadiat Yunusa for allegedly killing her co-wife’s three-year-old daughter out of jealousy and resentment over a prolonged domestic dispute.

The Kwara State Police Command has arrested a woman, Sadiat Yunusa, for allegedly strangling her co-wife’s three-year-old daughter to death in Kaiama, Kaiama Local Government Area of the state. The state Commissioner of Police, Adekimi Ojo, disclosed this while briefing journalists in Ilorin on Friday, July 31, 2026, on operational successes recorded recently by the command. He said the act by the suspect was motivated by resentment and jealousy arising from a prolonged domestic dispute. According to the CP, the case was reported at Kaiama Divisional Police Headquarters on July 25, 2026. Preliminary findings revealed that the three-year-old girl, Ummaiyat, had been left in the care of a family member while her mother went to the Kaiama Central Market.

READ ALSO:

• Court Awards N12m Damages Against Police for Abduction, Unlawful Detention of Journalist
• INEC Rejects Jonathan’s 2027 Presidential Nomination Submitted by PDP Faction
• Five days in Salvador, Brazil’s Yoruba city, By Farooq Kperogi

During that period, the suspect, Sadiat Yunusa, allegedly lured the child away to a nearby farm settlement, where she unlawfully caused her death by strangulation. The police said the child’s mother had entrusted her daughter to a family member while she went to the market, but Yunusa took advantage of the situation to carry out the alleged attack. “Prompt investigative efforts led to the arrest of the suspect, who, during interrogation, voluntarily confessed to the commission of the offence,” the CP said. “She disclosed that the act was motivated by resentment and jealousy arising from a prolonged domestic dispute, alleging that her husband had neglected her and her three children in favour of his second wife.”

The police boss said the command has concluded preliminary investigations and the suspect has been charged to court. Ojo also reiterated the command’s resolve to tackle violent crimes across Kwara State through intelligence-driven policing and community collaboration. He urged residents to promptly report suspicious activities and domestic disputes that could escalate into violence, stressing that early intervention often helps prevent tragic outcomes. The case has generated concern within the community due to the age of the victim and the circumstances surrounding her death. It is important to note that while the police have presented these allegations, the suspect is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a competent court of law.

Woman Strangles Co-wife’s 3-Year-Old Daughter to Death in Kwara

Court Awards N12m Damages Against Police for Abduction, Unlawful Detention of Journalist

• Justice Bello Kawu rules that the police violated the reporter’s constitutional rights to dignity and personal liberty during a 2024 arrest in Abuja.

A Federal Capital Territory High Court, presided over by Justice Bello Kawu, has ordered the Nigeria Police Force to pay N12 million in damages for the abduction and unlawful detention of Kasarahchi Aniagolu, a reporter with THE WHISTLER Newspaper. Aniagolu was arrested, assaulted, and detained for eight hours by the Nigeria Police Force on February 21, 2024, in Abuja. She was arrested at a location in Wuse Zone 4 where police operatives allegedly came on a covert operation against operators of illegal bureau de change.

According to reports from the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), Aniagolu was on a separate reporting assignment when she encountered the police raid and approached an officer, showing her press identification, to request a formal interview. The officer declined, and another nearby officer told Aniagolu to stop filming until the police were done, which she did. After about ten minutes, the officers began to leave, and Aniagolu again began to film and photograph the scene. A female officer noticed and approached Aniagolu, angrily asked who had given her permission to cover the incident, and slapped Aniagolu’s face; another officer hit her on the hand with their gun, and then the female officer dragged the journalist into a police van. On their way to the station, a male officer questioned Aniagolu’s sex, reportedly saying, “Are you sure this is a girl? The way she is holding tightly to her phone seems like it’s a man,” Aniagolu told CPJ. A female officer sitting close to Aniagolu then used her hand to press on the journalist’s chest to confirm her sex. The male officer then pointed his gun at the journalist and threatened to shoot her if she did not give him her phone, boasting that he would “get away with murder” if he killed her. After arriving at the station, two officers pushed the journalist onto her knees, held her hands, and used her face authentication to unlock her phone and delete pictures and videos of the raid. Officers then made her sit on the floor with around 60 men who were arrested during the raid.

READ ALSO:

• INEC Rejects Jonathan’s 2027 Presidential Nomination Submitted by PDP Faction
• Five days in Salvador, Brazil’s Yoruba city, By Farooq Kperogi
• Oyo Abduction: Obi Says He Would Have Entered Forest to Rescue Victims If He Were President

The reporter subsequently filed a suit on October 25, 2024, against the Inspector-General of Police and the Nigeria Police Force, demanding N100 million in damages. In her statement of claims, she said the police abducted her and breached her privacy by seizing her phone and deleting pictures in it. She also accused the police of subjecting her to inhuman treatment while in detention thereby infringing on her fundamental right. The suit was filed on her behalf by the legal firm of Adekunle Kosoko Esq. of Seasons Law Firm, Abuja.

In a judgment delivered on Wednesday, July 29, 2026, the court declared that the police “subjected the Applicant to inhuman and degrading treatment in contravention of Section 34(1)(a) and (b) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) .” The court also ruled that the “abduction of the applicant by officers of the Respondents and the subsequent detention of the Applicant at the Respondent’s station in Guzape District of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja infringed on the Applicant’s right to personal liberty, in contravention of sections 35(1) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) .” Justice Kawu subsequently ordered the Police to pay the reporter the sum of N10 million as damages for the infringement on her fundamental rights. The presiding judge also ordered the police to pay the reporter the sum of N2 million to cover the cost of litigation.

The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) had earlier condemned the incident, calling on President Bola Tinubu to sack or call to order Inspector General of Police Kayode Egbetokun over the attack. The rights group described the aggression against Aniagolu as “absolutely intolerable, despicable, reprehensible, primitive and disappointing.” The ruling is expected to renew conversations around police conduct during operations and the protection of journalists in the line of duty. The case marks another significant legal victory for press freedom in Nigeria, reinforcing judicial protections for journalists covering sensitive matters. The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) had also documented the case, highlighting the dangers journalists face while carrying out their professional duties in Nigeria. As of the time of filing this report, the Nigeria Police Force had not responded to the judgment or indicated whether it intends to appeal the decision.

Court Awards N12m Damages Against Police for Abduction, Unlawful Detention of Journalist