Child Bride Speaks Out After Killing Husband

Child-bride, Wasila Umar, accused of killing her husband and three of his friends while injuring many others after she served them poisoned food, in Kano, says she regrets her action.

“Mine was a classical example of youthful exuberance; it dawned on me shortly after that it was a joke taken too far to resolve a forced marriage question”, Wasila, 14, said. The killings happened only 17 days after their marriage.

The suspect, in tears as she spoke to Sunday Vanguard at Bompai police headquarters, Kano, where she was being detained, added: “I have never enjoyed the opportunity of going to Islamic school or acquiring Western education. My father forced me into this mess by stubbornly forcing me into a relationship I was not prepared to live in “.

The girl, who hails from Yansoro- Kademi in  Gaya local government area of Kano State, revealed that “though my target was my late husband, I must confess that my blood went cold when I realized I had committed mass murder”.

*Wasila

Wasila is in police custody for killing her husband, Umar Sani, 35, and three of his friends on the spot even  as 10 others were hospitalized shortly after eating a  local meal mixed with rat poison at Yansoro –Kademi, last week.

Narrating how she executed the mass murder, she said, “On the fateful day, my husband’s meal was prepared by the senior wife and put  in my room as I was due in fulfillment of his rotational duty in a polygamous setting.

“I obtained the rat poison for just N100 and, at my convenience, mixed it with the local dish prepared for him. When he returned home for the feast, he came with those who were destined to die with him. I was restless but could not stop it from happening.

“I felt normal and slept after the incident but the  consequence of my action was clear when I was picked up by the police and I felt cold for the first time”.

She explained that “destiny appears to have played a wicked one on me at this early stage of my life   and I would rededicate the rest of my life to sincerely seek Allah’s forgiveness”.

However, despite the overwhelming evidence the police have to prosecute the alleged culpable homicide, they seemed to be in a dilemma due to age of the suspect.

Commenting on the development, Kano State Police Command Public Relations  Officer, ASP Magaji Musa Majia, said “the case has been referred to appropriate authorities  for the next line of action”. Majia told Sunday Vanguard: “I am assuring you that Wasila would appear in court soon because we have limitation on the number of days we can keep a suspect no matter the perceived weakness of the case or the personality involved”.