A 33-year-old housewife, Sadiya Salihu, is battling for her life in a hospital, Aunty Zainab Nursing Home and Maternity, at the Sheka area of Kano State.

Sadiya, a mother of four, who got married on April 24, 2010, to a businessman in Nguru LGA of Yobe State, Ibrahim Yunusa Bature, was said to have been locked up by her husband for several months amid hunger and illness.

Sadiya’s mother, Hadiza Hassan, said she rescued her daughter from her husband when she travelled to see her and found her in that situation.

She explained that, “I was experiencing nightmares about Sadiya for long and anytime I called her husband, he gave the phone to the children and they would lie when I request to talk to her; that she was sleeping or doing something else.

“At last, I travelled to Nguru. I was greeted by the children. I didn’t see their mother, so I peeped into her room through the window and behold she was there just lying down; helpless.

“I forcefully took my daughter back home, and as you can see, she is not herself. When I enquired, I was told that the husband only fed her with pap and roasted hasbiya (dove). I had to wean her 11-month-old child because of her situation.”

She added that they were suspecting the husband to have used her daughter for ritual and was trying to starve her to death.

She further said, “We still can’t understand why pap every day, the hasbiya and a liquid mixture with bad odour being sprayed on her body. Look at her now. You can’t even comprehend what she is saying.” (Daily Trust)

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