The Kuje Divisional Police Headquarters has confirmed the arrest of two men, Sunday Kadani and Peter Audu, over the death of an 11-year-old girl, Joy Sunday.
The Divisional Police Officer (DPO), CSP Danladi Isa, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Kuje that the arrest followed the discovery of the girl’s body in a soak-away pit.
Isa said Kadani, who is the girl’s father, and Audu his friend had claimed that Joy was possessed by witchcraft.
He said the suspects had earlier on September 8, 2011 poured kerosene on the girl and set fire on her as a result of their claims.
“Then, we had received information through the Village Head of Jeda, Mr. Ali Danjuma, that a little girl was found in a farm at about 6 am with burns on her neck and face. We went and brought the girl and through her statement we discovered that the father and his friend set her ablaze. We then got the two arrested,” Isa said.
The police officer said he had on compassionate grounds after seeing the little girl given out money for the girl be taken to the hospital for treatment, but that “After the treatment, we discovered that there was nobody to take care of the girl at home. So, we released the suspects and ordered that they report to the station a week later.”
The DPO said the girl’s body was however discovered in the soak-away on September 10, 2011, two days after the order was given to the suspects to take care of her.
He said preliminary investigation on the matter had been concluded, and the suspects would soon be transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (CID) for further investigation and added that the girl’s corpse had already been deposited at the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital (UATH) mortuary.
?