The parents of an 18-month-old baby boy, who fell victim to suspected ritualists in Bauchi State, continue to grieve deeply. His mutilated body, with some organs missing, was discovered inside a soakaway eight days after he had been reported missing,Daily Trust reports.
Saudatu Abdullahi Ahmad, the mother of the family’s only child, shared her heart-wrenching ordeal with Daily Trust on Sunday. She expressed her profound sorrow, believing that only Almighty Allah could provide solace for her anguish.
Saudatu recounted the tragic day, saying, “On that fateful day, we had exams at our school, Green Heritage College of Education. My child used to play near the classroom corridor and would return on his own. However, that day, I brought him back to the classroom twice while I was still taking the test. But towards the end of the exam, when he went out for the third time, he never returned. After I finished my test and submitted my script, I went out to look for him, but he was nowhere to be found.”
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She continued, “I found his shoes hanging on a classroom window beside ours and entered the class with his shoes, asking the students if they had seen him, but no one had. I searched through other classrooms without success. I returned to our class and informed our teacher that my child was missing. Despite efforts by my fellow male students who scoured nearby houses, gardens, and plantations, we could not locate him.”
Saudatu lamented, “Muhammad Abiding Musa (the deceased) was my only child, and I cannot adequately convey the depth of pain and devastation I am experiencing due to this incident. Although I am slowly recovering from the agonizing pain in my heart, I am at a loss for words to describe the pain and grief caused by this heinous act.”
She appealed to the authorities to arrest the culprits, saying, “I hope that God will reveal those responsible for this heinous act, and the authorities, especially the security agencies, will apprehend and prosecute them as a deterrent to protect our children from these criminals. As his mother, I seek justice for my child, to ensure that other children are spared from such inhumanity. I pray to God to shield other children from such barbaric acts, as both children and adults are vulnerable to ritualistic activities.”
Saudatu also called upon security agencies to intensify their investigations and bring the perpetrators to justice, believing that doing so would safeguard children not only in Bauchi but also across the country.
Regarding government and public assistance, Saudatu mentioned, “Governor Bala Mohammed visited us, offered condolences, and donated N100,000 and five bags of rice. His wife, Hajiya Aisha Bala, also visited and contributed N20,000.”
The grandfather of the deceased, Ahmad Abdullah Wunti, expressed the family’s mourning, particularly due to the gruesome removal of some of the child’s organs. He recounted the initial report of the child’s disappearance and the subsequent discovery of his lifeless body in a soakaway after eight agonizing days.
Abdullahi described the horrifying state in which the child’s body was found, with his eyes, nose, tongue, and other body parts brutally removed. Despite disagreements within the family and with security agents over conducting an autopsy, the father of the child chose to leave everything to Allah and requested the immediate burial of the deceased.
Meanwhile, Governor Mohammed ordered the immediate closure of the school where the child’s body was found to facilitate a thorough investigation. The governor expressed shock over the murder during his condolence visit to the grieving family and emphasized the need to combat criminal activities in the state.
The Commissioner of Police (CP), Musa Mohammed, assured the public that the command was diligently pursuing those responsible for the baby’s murder and pledged to ensure justice prevailed.
The Bauchi State Police Command established an investigative committee led by the Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) in charge of the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) to thoroughly probe the circumstances surrounding the child’s murder and identify anyone connected to it.
Efforts to obtain a response from the school where the tragedy occurred were unsuccessful.
