The Jigawa State Police Command has arrested a 26-year-old man, Nura Mas’ud, for allegedly setting his 60-year-old grandmother, Zuwaira Muhammad, on fire in Mu’azu village, Sule Tankarkar Local Government Area.
The state’s Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Lawan Adam, confirmed the arrest in a statement on Saturday. According to the police, the incident took place on October 8, 2024, when Mas’ud arrived at his family’s home with a petrol canister, poured it on his grandmother, and ignited it.
DSP Adam explained that despite being rushed to a hospital for treatment, the elderly woman succumbed to her injuries. “The attending doctor confirmed her death, and her body was released to the family for burial in accordance with Islamic rites,” he added.
Police detectives from the Sule Tankarkar Division quickly apprehended Mas’ud, who was later transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) for further investigation. During interrogation, the suspect reportedly confessed to the crime, citing frustration over his grandmother’s repeated concerns about his physical and mental health, which he claimed upset him.
The police also revealed that a preliminary investigation indicated that Mas’ud suffers from mental illness and had been receiving treatment at the Kazaure Psychiatric Hospital. The suspect admitted to warning his grandmother several times before taking the drastic step, believing her worries about his health were unwarranted.
The state’s Commissioner of Police, A.T. Abdullahi, has ordered a thorough investigation and directed that the suspect be prosecuted to serve as a deterrent to others.
