A 28-year-old newly married woman, Firdausi Musa, and her two young children sustained severe burns after her co-wife, Maryam Muhammad, allegedly doused them with petrol and set them ablaze in the Hotoro area of Kano State.
The incident occurred late Monday night, May 11, 2026, in the Mai Allo area of Hotoro quarters and has left residents in shock. The suspect is currently in police custody at the Mariri Police Division.
The two children, identified as Khadija Ya’u, 7, and Ismail Ya’u, 3, are receiving treatment alongside their mother at the National Orthopaedic Hospital, Dala, and Murtala Muhammad Specialist Hospital, Kano, respectively.
The women’s husband, Malam Saminu, who reportedly sustained burns while trying to rescue the victims, is also undergoing treatment.
Speaking to Daily Trust, Firdausi’s younger brother, Buhari Musa Sa’ad, said the family received a distress call around 3 a.m. informing them that his sister, her husband, and the two children had been set ablaze by her co-wife. According to him, Firdausi had spent less than two weeks in her matrimonial home before the incident occurred.
“She is about 28 years old. The children who were burned are from her previous marriage. They are stepchildren to the husband, who works as a tricycle rider,” he said.
A relative of the victim, Rukayya, also told Daily Trust that Firdausi had earlier complained about threats and intimidation from the co-wife before the attack.
“We were lying here when she was brought in, and she told us herself that it was her co-wife who poured petrol on her and lit a match,” she said.
Rukayya added that the victim had earlier left the house because of repeated threats but later returned after intervention from her husband.
