NEWS EXPRESS is Nigeria’s leading online newspaper. Published by Africa’s international award-winning journalist, Mr. Isaac Umunna, NEWS EXPRESS is Nigeria’s first truly professional online daily newspaper. It is published from Lagos, Nigeria’s economic and media hub, and has a provision for occasional special print editions. Thanks to our vast network of sources and dedicated team of professional journalists and contributors spread across Nigeria and overseas, NEWS EXPRESS has become synonymous with newsbreaks and exclusive stories from around the world.
Hangmans noose
The Dandinshe Yamma Quarters in Dala Local Government Area of Kano State has been thrown into deep mourning following the shocking death of a 14-year-old girl, Fatima Sulaiman, who was found hanging inside her family residence.
When Daily Trust visited the family house, grief-stricken relatives, neighbors, and community members were seen gathered in disbelief, discussing the heartbreaking incident.
Speaking to Daily Trust, Fatima’s mother, Mallama Madina Inuwa Makwalla, narrated the last moment she shared with her daughter.
“On Saturday evening, we planned to visit one of our relatives admitted at a nearby hospital. As we were about to leave, Fatima told me she wanted to use the toilet and that she would join us shortly. I didn’t know that would be the last time I would see her alive,” she recounted in tears.
According to her, when the family returned from the hospital later that evening, they found the main gate of their house locked from inside. Efforts to open it with a spare key failed.
Fatima’s father, Mallam Sulaiman, returned from the market around that time.
After learning what had happened, he decided to scale the fence to gain entry into the house and what he found inside his residence would haunt him forever.
“He met our daughter hanging by the window, lifeless. He was shocked and immediately called me. That was how we raised the alarm, and neighbors rushed to our house,” Mallama Madina said.
Residents who gathered at the scene said the nature of her death suggested possible foul play, with suspicions that her neck had been broken before she was hanged.
The distraught father, Mallam Sulaiman, confirmed that the family promptly contacted the police, who arrived at the scene and moved Fatima’s body to Murtala Muhammad Specialist Hospital where medical personnel confirmed that she had died before arrival.
He added that the family had no idea who could have been behind such a “terrible tragedy,” but called on security agencies to thoroughly investigate and bring the perpetrators to justice.
“We leave everything to Almighty Allah. We pray that God exposes those behind this crime,” Mallam Aminu said.
Confirming the incident, the spokesman of the Kano State Police Command, SP Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa, told Daily Trust that the case had been reported and investigations had commenced.
“We received a distress call and immediately dispatched our men to the scene. The body of the deceased was taken to the hospital where she was confirmed dead. We have opened a full investigation to determine the actual cause of death and ensure that justice is served,” he stated.
He assured the public that the command would leave no stone unturned in unraveling the circumstances behind Fatima’s death.
Neighbors described Fatima as a calm, respectful, and generous teenager who lived peacefully with everyone around her.
“She was loved by many in the neighborhood. This tragedy has shaken all of us,” a resident said.
Fatima has since been buried according to Islamic rites, with hundreds of sympathizers attending the funeral to pay their last respect. (Daily Trust)