Residents of Dahiru Road in Kurmin-Mashi, Kaduna State, woke up to the news of the sudden death of a teenage boy identified as Sadiq, said to be aged between 12–14 on Tuesday, an incident that has sparked widespread reactions in the area even as the victim’s parents have been detained.
According to an online report by K-Mashi Voice, the boy’s mother, Hauwa’u Adamu, popularly known as Maman Sadiq (Aunty Laraba), alongside her husband Sharhabil, were being accused of involvement in the teenager’s death, following what is suspected to be a severe corporal punishment inflicted on him on Monday night.
The incident began after the mother sent Sadiq to withdraw ₦5,000 cash from a PoS shop. However, it was alleged that Sadiq made two withdrawals but returned with only ₦5,000 cash to his mother, a development that prompted his stepfather, Sharhabil, to follow him to the PoS operator, who reportedly confirmed that two withdrawals were actually made by late Sadiq.
Upon their return home, the mother and her husband—who was not the boy’s biological father of the boy—allegedly subjected him to beatings for the act of dishonesty.
A female neighbour was said to have heard the boy crying around 10pm on Monday night, which led her to intervene and pleaded with the couple to stop the punishment to no avail.
The source further stated that she contacted a local Islamic cleric, who came to advise the duo and cautioned them against the severity of their actions but they didn’t listen.
According to her, everyone eventually left, leaving the boy in that condition. It was on Tuesday morning that Sadiq’s death was confirmed.
LEADERSHIP gathered that the Kurmin-Mashi Police Division waded in and took the boy’s body to Yusuf Dantsoho Hospital (Dutse General Hospital) for further examination to determine the cause of death while the mother, Hauwa’u Adamu, and her husband Sharhabil have also been detained as investigations into the incident continued.
