A teenage boy identified as Sadiq has allegedly died after being subjected to prolonged beating by his mother and stepfather in the Kurmin-Mashi area of Kaduna State over an alleged missing sum of money.
The incident, which occurred on Monday night on Dahiru Road in Kurmin-Mashi, has thrown the neighbourhood into shock and grief, with eyewitnesses recounting how the teenager repeatedly pleaded for water while neighbours allegedly attempted to intervene but failed.
Some residents told LEADERSHIP that the deceased, believed to be between 12 and 14 years old, was allegedly punished by his mother, Hauwa’u Adamu, popularly known in the community as Maman Sadiq, and her husband, Sharhabil, after he was accused of failing to account for money he had been sent to withdraw from a Point-of-Sale (PoS) operator.
An eyewitness, Sadiq Abdulwahab, said he had returned from watching football on Monday evening when he first heard the teenager crying from a nearby compound.
“I had just returned from watching football and was sitting with a neighbour, Hajia Zainab, when we heard someone crying inside the house. She went to check and later informed us that the boy was being beaten,” he said.
According to Abdulwahab, the incident allegedly began after the teenager was sent to withdraw N5,000 from a PoS operator.
He said residents later learnt that the boy had initially visited one PoS operator but encountered network challenges before proceeding to another operator, where a transaction was completed.
“The mother said they sent him to withdraw N5,000, but they later discovered that the money had allegedly been withdrawn twice. They then began questioning him about the second transaction,” Abdulwahab said.
Abdulwahab alleged that the teenager’s mother and stepfather subsequently took him to verify the transaction with the PoS operator, who reportedly confirmed that two withdrawals had been processed.
According to him, upon returning home, the teenager was allegedly subjected to prolonged punishment as he was repeatedly asked to explain what happened to the money.
“People kept begging them to leave the boy alone and settle the issue later. Some even offered to replace the money if necessary,” Abdulwahab said.
He added that a cleric was later invited to intervene and reportedly advised the couple to stop the punishment and resolve the matter peacefully.
Another eyewitness, Mama Rukkayatu, said that one of the most painful memories from that night was the teenager’s repeated pleas for water.
“The boy kept asking for water. People pleaded with them to give him water, but according to what we saw, he was not given any”.
“By Tuesday morning, news of the teenager’s death had spread across the neighbourhood, sending shockwaves through the community”.
Some residents who spoke to LEADERSHIP expressed regret and disbelief, saying they had hoped the punishment would eventually stop and that the teenager would receive medical attention.
“When something like this happens, you keep asking yourself whether there was something more you could have done,” one resident, who declined to be named, said.
Neighbours described Sadiq as a familiar face in the community, often seen running errands and interacting with other children.
Some neighbours also expressed concern that Sadiq was not attending school at the time of his death, although they said they were unaware of the circumstances that kept him out of school.
While some residents alleged that his mother had previously accused him of taking money from home, they said they were unaware of any incidents involving theft outside the family.
“He never disturbed anybody in the community. We only heard complaints from the family,” another resident said.
It was gathered that the deceased’s mother and stepfather have since been taken into police custody as investigations into the circumstances surrounding the teenager’s death continue.
The spokesman of the Kaduna State Police Command, DSP Mansir Hassan, confirmed the incident, saying the command had commenced an investigation to ascertain the circumstances surrounding the teenager’s death.
He said the suspects remained in police custody while the outcome of the investigation would determine the next line of action.
