“I No Longer Liked Him”: Woman Confesses to Strangling Husband to Death

In Lafiyagi Dzwafu village in Katcha Local Government Area of Niger State, a 27-year-old Fatima Dzuma has been arrested for allegedly killing her husband, Baba Aliyu, in a chilling act she attributed to a loss of affection.

According to local sources, Baba married Dzuma three years ago following her divorce from her first husband. While their union produced no children, Dzuma had one child from her previous marriage. Baba’s first wife had recently given birth, and the family was preparing for a naming ceremony at the time of the tragedy.

In her confession, Dzuma reportedly stated, “I no longer liked him,” as her motive for the act. She allegedly strangled him with a scarf and struck him multiple times with a pestle while he slept, breaking his hand in the process. After the act, she wrapped his body in a mat and dragged it to the backyard, cleaning the scene to conceal the crime.

For three days, Dzuma denied any knowledge of Baba’s whereabouts, even as his family conducted a frantic search. She eventually admitted to the crime, saying, “I acted alone,” while pleading for mercy and claiming, “The devil made me do it.”

The Niger State Police Command confirmed the incident. According to Wasiu Abiodun, the Police Public Relations Officer, Baba Aliyu’s lifeless body was discovered on December 31, 2024, in a bush near Katcha. Police operatives from the Katcha Division promptly initiated an investigation.

Preliminary findings indicate that Dzuma killed her husband during a violent altercation after he allegedly beat her. She later struck him on the head with a pestle while he was asleep, leading to his death. Dzuma then tied the body with clothes and rope, wrapped it in a mat, and discarded it in the bush.

The body has been sent to Bida General Hospital for a post-mortem examination. Dzuma remains in police custody and is awaiting transfer to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) in Minna for further investigation and possible prosecution.