It is not clear what drove one Ismail Ibrahim to run berserk, accost little Zakiya in her parent’s home and brutally kill her but the murder has left a bad taste in the mouths of the victim’s family and Angwan Rimi area of the Plateau State capital, as our correspondent reports.
It was Saturday and seven-year-old Zakiya Auwal had had her hair braided in preparation for resuming school on Monday. She was due to complete her third term exams at John Puke Nursery and Primary School and when a new term begins in January, she had hoped to be in primary one.
But her dreams ended that evening at about 4 pm inside her parents’ house in Angwan Rimi area of Jos when one Ismail Ibrahim ran into the house and used a stone to bash little Zakiya’s head.
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Her mother was sleeping at the time and her father had gone about his business as usual. So there really was no adult immediately close by to rescue Zakiya as Ibrahim repeatedly struck her on the head with a stone.
But one person witnessed the murder. It was Zakiya’s 12-year-old brother, Haruna Auwal, who first encountered the suspect just outside the house.
“I was already outside when [the suspect] approached our area asking people to either give him money or be killed. He grabbed a man and the man gave him N50, after which he allowed him to pass.
“Moments later, he chased many children, including me.
“We all ran but he then entered our house and suddenly accosted my sister on her way coming out of the house.
“He pushed her to the ground and hit her with a stone repeatedly on her head until her brain spilt out. She died there instantly,” he said.
Haruna had vivid recollections of how the murder of his sister played out.
He remembered the suspect closing the main door to the house and when he tried to push in the door to help his sister, the door wouldn’t budge.
“I heard her from inside screaming, asking for people to rescue her life but it wasn’t possible because he had already closed the door,” he said.
Haruna then ran to the back of the house and scaled the fence. What he saw was his sister, dead, with her head broken.
“Realizing that her head was already destroyed, I went straight to the room and called my mother to come and see wonders for herself,” Haruna said.
The mother, Samira Yakubu, when she first heard the screams, she didn’t immediately think her children were in danger.
“Their screaming woke me up. I thought the children were just playing,” she said. “By the time I stepped out of the room to see what was happening, Ibrahim saw me and threw a stone at me. I then screamed, asking people to help us out.”
Since the incident, she has been wondering what could be the motive, why would the suspect, who was unknown to them, come into their house and murder her daughter like that?
Auwal Bello, Zakiya’s father, was away at work when the incident happened.
He said his son, Haruna, saved the life of his wife and every other person in the house when he scaled the fence, unlocked the front door and called for help from people who had gathered outside.
The crowd rushed in and apprehended the suspect.
Auwal remembered the first call he got about the incident. It was a little after 4 pm.
Someone called him to tell him that his daughter had been attacked and had been rushed to Ola Hospital but the hospital refused to admit her.
“I concluded that the situation was very critical because for that hospital to reject a patient without giving any reason, something must be wrong,” he said.
“She was later moved to Bingham Hospital, where she was confirmed dead by doctors on duty.
“On getting to the hospital, I was asked whether I was the father and I said yes.
“The nurse on duty drew the bedsheet used to covered her and I saw her head and the face completely damaged. The body was later taken home for burial.”
Seeing his beloved daughter like that has left Auwal Bello in shock.
“I am still surprised how someone, a thief, would have the guts to enter your house and kill your daughter without any fear. It is very shocking,” he said.
“I am still wondering how on earth someone will take a big stone and hit a small girl like Zakiya repeatedly on the head.”
Perhaps no one is more stunned than Haruna who witnessed his sister’s last moments.
“My name was the last thing she said before she gave up. I heard her say Haruna and that was the end of it,” he said.
He is not the only one scarred by this murder.
“I will never forget this experience in my life,” Samira, Zakiya’s mother, said.
She has been replaying her daughter’s last moments alive.
“Hours before she died, she told me she would take her bath after plaiting her hair.
“She showed me her hairstyle and I told her that the hairstyle was beautiful and that was my last encounter with her, “she said.
Her daughter, she said, was obedient and did everything she was asked on time.
For her, this loss would leave a big hole in her life.
Zakiya’s father too has been replaying his last encounter with his daughter before he left home that morning.
“In the morning of the day she was going to die, she lay on my chest and later sat on the cushion telling me that today (Saturday), she wanted her mother to prepare egg and pepper sauce for the family.
“We all laughed and said that was done. When I was about to go out, we waved at each other.
“That was my last moment with her,” he said, tearfully.
He would live to remember Zakiya, he said, for her kindness, respect, and dedication, adding that he would never forgive Ibrahim for murdering his daughter.
The murder has sent shockwaves into the community as Alh. Nafi’u Ya’u Jos, a member of the community expressed sadness over the tragedy.
“We are saddened by the incident. It is unfortunate and uncalled for.
“This a serious offence that should not be swept under the carpet.
“We call on the government and security agencies to take drastic action on Ibrahim so as to serve as a deterrent to others,” he said.
Acting Spokesperson of the state Police Command, Mansur Sha’aban, said the suspect had since been arrested and the police are investigating the crime.
Our correspondent reports that the suspect was first taken to Unguwan Rogo Police Division but was later transferred to the ‘A’ Division of the Police Area Command, Jos.
Auwal Bello is keen for justice for his daughter and he wants the police to ensure that Zakiya gets it.
“Once justice is done, other people of the same character would learn a lesson,” he said.
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