An 11-year-old girl named Fadila has reportedly died after being severely beaten by her mother, Khadija, in the Tukur community of Zaria, Kaduna State.
According to residents, the incident occurred on Saturday evening, just before the Muslim Maghrib prayer.
Khadija was said to have accused her daughter of taking ₦100 given to her during the Sallah festivities.
In anger, she allegedly struck the child multiple times with a pestle.
The girl’s death has triggered outrage in the neighbourhood, with several community members boycotting her funeral.
Locals described the act as a brutal injustice and claimed that the woman had a history of physically abusing the girl.
“This wasn’t the first time. Anytime there’s an issue with her hawking, the mother beats her like she’s not even her own child,” a neighbour said.
Another resident added, “We couldn’t bring ourselves to pray for her. The injustice was too much.”
The deceased’s father, Malam Mustapha Musa, said he was away when the tragedy occurred.
“I wasn’t at home. I returned to find out what had happened,” he told local media.
Khadija admitted to physically disciplining her daughter but denied any intent to kill.
“I beat her, but I never meant to cause her death. Only the children were at home with me,” she said.
Fadila’s remains were transported by her father to their hometown in Kano State, where she was buried. “I’ve left everything in God’s hands,” he added.
A local security officer explained that both parents were initially summoned for questioning, but the case was later handed over to the police.
As of the time of this report, the spokesperson for the Kaduna State Police Command, DSP Mansur Hassan, had not issued an official statement.
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