Mystery over death of Zamfara housewife
Residents of Yan Dorayi in Gusau metropolis, Zamfara State, are still battling to come to terms with what led to the gruesome murder of a 25-year-old housewife, Naja’atu, right in her home. Some of the residents who spoke to our reporter said they were still grieving and confused over her death.
Late Naja’atu was earlier declared missing by her husband, Mallam Yakubu Maradun, a lecturer with the Zamfara State College of Education (COE) Maru, and four days after her decomposing body was discovered in an apartment within her matrimonial home.
According to some neighbours, late Naja’atu left home that fateful day with the knowledge of her husband to go to the bank and collect her BVN to enable her register for the N-Power programme. But she never returned.
Later in the evening her husband raised alarm that his wife was missing and even went to a radio station where an announcement was made to that effect.
The search for Naja’atu became intense as the husband, his family, her family and friends began to look for her in all parts of the metropolis, including hospitals and police stations.
When the search seemed fruitless, family and friends began to lose hope and started going to the husband’s house to sympathise with him. A source told Daily Trust that it was then that a member of the husband’s family said he perceived an offensive odour coming from an apartment within the house.
When the stench became unbearable, some residents searched the apartment. They broke the door of a room from where the odour seemed to be coming. The husband had said the key to the room was with his missing wife. There the decomposing body of Naja’atu was found on the floor with signs that she might have been strangled to death.
A neighbour said there was a big hole in the wall of the room where Naja’atu’s
There is a big hole in the wall of the room where Naja’atu’s body was discovered. Also, directly behind it is a trench, indicating that the culprits had the intention of dumping her there but could not succeed
body was discovered. Also, directly behind it is a trench, indicating that the culprits had the intention of dumping her there but could not succeed.
“We are suspecting that she might have been attacked by rapists who killed her because she recognised them,” a neighbour who craved anonymity said.
Witnesses said there was no sign of physical injury on her, but her hands were tied, even though the scene suggested some struggle.
The husband is currently helping the Zamfara State Police Command to unravel the circumstances surrounding the murder.
The spokesman of the State Police Command, DSP Shehu Muhammad, said it was a very complicated case which was still being investigated and that the command would soon unravel the circumstance and motive.
“We have arrested her husband and one other person and the case is still under investigation. We will come out with our position after concluding our investigation,” he added.
He warned the public against making hasty conclusions, saying they shouldn’t be making comments on what they did not know until investigations were concluded.