Husband beat my daughter to death after I stopped her divorce – Father of housewife killed over Ramadan food

Abdullahi Muhammad, father of late Wasilah Abdullahi, who was allegedly beaten to death by her husband, Nuru Isah, over Ramadan food in Bauchi State, speaks to UMAR SANI about his grief and regrets over his young daughter’s demise

What is your relationship with the late Wasilah?

I am the father of the late Wasilah, who was killed by her husband, Nuru Isah, over Ramadan food.

How old was Wasilah when she was killed?

Until her death, Wasilah was 24 years old.

How old is her husband?

According to a report from the police, he is 50 years old. So, the report from the police, which states he is 50 years old, should be relied upon.

How many wives does he have?

He had three wives, including my daughter. Wasilah was his second wife among the three. She had been married to her husband, Nuru, for 10 years. So, it has been a long time since they got married.

How many children did the late Wasilah leave behind?

Wasilah left behind three children: a boy and two girls. These children are now without their mother as a result of the unfortunate incident. It is very tragic.

How would you describe the character of your daughter? Was she a humble person?

Wasilah was very humble and was patient with this man. I swear, she was patient with him. The reason I am saying that she was patient with him was that before her death, she came back home and said she was never going back.

She insisted that she was not going back and demanded that they should be divorced. But I consoled and encouraged her to see reason and go back. Since she went back, there was no peace in the house. One fateful night, we got a message that Wasilah had died.

Was there any report that they were always quarrelling?

Yes. It is always so with every other marriage. They had repeatedly had issues. In fact, because of their repeated problems, her mother complained and said she was tired of our daughter and her husband’s troubles. That was before Wasilah’s mother died.

Even the last time they had an issue – a week before her death – when she came back home, her mother insisted that she shouldn’t go back. But we encouraged her to go back to her matrimonial home. However, her husband had never beaten her until the last time, which led to her death.

What led to the fight or beating that caused her death?

We were informed by her co-wife that their husband brought home a watermelon that the family would use to break their Ramadan fast. It was over that watermelon that the fight erupted. After that, I have not been able to conclude whether my daughter’s husband beat her or not. But for a woman who was healthy and alive to have been reported dead, and was said to have vomited blood before she died, she must have been beaten. Even her co-wife, who lived with her in the same house, confirmed that he had beaten her.

Have they ever had issues about the feeding of the family?

Regarding food, it was common and always the reason for their quarrels. He used to be discriminatory or biased in allotting food to his wives. When he brought any food, it was he and the last wife (his amarya) who always had the biggest share.

This is something I am telling you that we did not only hear from our daughter. Everyone in the community they lived in knows him (Wasilah’s husband) for that.

What was your reaction when you heard the news?

When we heard of her death through her brother, Ibrahim, we felt very sad. Then Ibrahim and her mother went to the house. A group of mobile policemen were also reported to have gone to the house and arrested my late daughter’s husband. He was with the police when we buried her.

Was she rushed to a nearby hospital when it became clear that she had collapsed or may not survive the beating from her husband?

After the man beat her, she was taken to a nearby pharmacy by the husband’s friend. She was treated and given some medication, after which she returned home.

According to what we were told, after she returned from the pharmacy to her friend’s house, which was close to her husband’s, she took a bath and ate food. Then she returned to her husband’s house. There, she observed her pending Sallah (prayers) and rested on her bed.

It was later on, when she tried to stand up, that she collapsed – all in the same night. From there, she was rushed to the hospital, where it was discovered that she had a wound on her forehead and by the side of her rib. These injuries were from the beating. She was later confirmed dead.

Did she have any noticeable health problems in the past?

To be honest, until she was married to him, she never had any noticeable health problems. But in his house, we later noticed that she had heart-related issues. That might have resulted from their repeated quarrels, and she was depressed. The truth is that there were medications she used to take to help with her breathing.

What do you want from the government in this matter?

Our only demand from the government and authorities is that we want justice to be served. We are pleading with the government and anyone capable of ensuring that justice is served because, even if we forgive him, she (the late Wasilah) will not forgive him.

In fact, we will also not forgive him because we were wronged. We are already aware that he is with the Police CID. So, we want him to face the consequences of his actions.