Who dunnit? Controversy still rages over the killing of three children in Kaduna

When three of the four children playing around their street were suddenly found dead in a neighbour’s compound, accusing fingers pointed in one direction. But is the suspect actually the culprit? MUHAMMAD SABIU reports on the ongoing controversy over the murder.

LAST weekend, Sirajo Street, Tudun Wada, a suburb of Kaduna metropolis in Kaduna State became a centre of attraction for the wrong reason. In that street, four children – Rabi, Aisha, Abubakar and Hamza – all aged between two and four, were declared missing by their parents. There was palpable fear all over the street with most parents showing sympathy for the family concerned, just as they were worried over the safety of their own children.

Sunday Tribune gathered that the children were taken to their grandfather’s house for a visit earlier in the week. Their grandfather, Alhaji Hashim Maiatamfa, is an elder brother of the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Care taker committee, Senator Ahmed Makarfi, who lives in the same street with their parents.

Hours later, when their mother came to pick them, the children could not be found.    A search team was set up. It was learnt that the search team went around the neighborhood even to some police stations around the metropolis, but their efforts were to no avail. A neighbour who would not want to be named told Sunday Tribune: “We then decided to raise the alarm over their disappearance in the social media. Behold, the news of their disappearance went viral and began to attract public sympathy.”

Three days after their disappearance, Sunday Tribune contacted the mother of two of the children, Hajiya Hajara Suleiman, who affirmed that the whereabouts of the kids was still unknown. She had told Sunday Tribune that her only wish was to see her children because since the day they were declared missing she had not been able to eat.

Indeed, few minutes after Hajia Suleiman spoke to Sunday Tribune, came the sad news. The worst fears of the victims’ parents were confirmed. Three of them – Aisha, Abubakar and Hamza – were discovered dead, while the last one, (Rabi) was still alive.

A family source who pleaded for anonymity told Sunday Tribune that the children were found in an abandoned car inside a compound, few metres from their home. According to him, one of the housemaids in the compound went to pick something near the car and found the children.

When sympathizers gathered, what they saw raised suspicions that the children might have been murdered.

Speaking on the alleged murder, their grandmother, Hajiya Hadiza, dispelled the theory that the children entered the car and could not open the door, which eventually resulted in their death. She added that one of their neighbours who had earlier come to sympathise with the family over the missing children had said that the children had come to him at home asking him for sweets.

“How come the children were later found in his house?” Hajiya Hadiza queried.

Corroborating the above statement, an angry family source who pleaded for anonymity, remarked that before then, “Somebody had called the lines of one of my elder brothers and demanded for money. Why should they kill the poor children?”

Another resident of the area who also wanted to remain anonymous said: “I was one of those who helped the police to retrieve the bodies of the children. I could see that their bodies had been mutilated, but I don›t think it is right to jump to conclusion that the man was responsible for the death of the children. We should allow the police to finish their findings.”

A youth in the street who gave his name as Adamu Musa also said the suspect was well-known in the area.

“He is an old man who has grown up children. We learnt one of his daughters is married to a serving senator and when this incident happened she was around.” Musa said adding that the suspect is somebody who minds his own business. “He loves children and always buy sweets for the kids around,” he said.

The only surviving victim, it was learnt, is still recuperating in the hospital under tight security. A family source confided in Sunday Tribune that, no-one is allowed in to see her, except her biological parents and her grandfather.

According to another source, “her survival is very critical to the ongoing investigation by the police. When she recovers fully she would assist in unraveling the controversy surrounding the tragedy.”

As of the time of filing this report, heavily armed policemen were seen guarding the residence of the suspect. Findings gathered that this was to prevent youths in the area from attacking the house.

A police source who pleaded for anonymity remarked that the youth had threatened to set the house ablaze or even kill the suspect, adding: “it is our duty to protect the life and property of the suspect as well as the people around the area.”

Also speaking, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), ASP Yakubu Sabo said the police were on top of the situation, assuring that, “we are going to conduct thorough investigation and we are not going to spare anybody found wanting.”

Meanwhile parents of the children are insisting that they want nothing short of justice. Speaking in an interview, mother of two of the children, Hajiya Suleiman said: “We want the police to identify the killers of my children and prosecute them accordingly.

“My children and their cousin were brutally murdered. How could someone tell me that they were not killed? Hamza had his shoulder broken. Abubakar’s private part was cut and Aisha’s intestines were removed.”

Also speaking, the victims’ grandfather, Alhaji Hashim Maiatamfa said: “It is my grandchildren we are talking about here. I want the law to take its course.”

Also lending his voice to issues surrounding the tragedy, the state governor, Mallam Nasir El-rufai had assured the bereaved parents during a sympathy visit that all those behind the heinous crime would be brought to justice.