A 28-year-old newly married woman, Firdausi Musa, and her two young children are recovering from severe burns after her co-wife, Maryam Muhammad, allegedly poured petrol on them and set them on fire in the Hotoro area of Kano State. The incident occurred late Monday night, May 11, 2026, in the Mai Allo area of Hotoro quarters, leaving residents in shock. The suspect is currently in police custody at the Mariri Police Division.
Victims and injuries
The two children, Khadija Ya’u, 7, and Ismail Ya’u, 3, are receiving treatment alongside their mother at the National Orthopaedic Hospital, Dala, and Murtala Muhammad Specialist Hospital, Kano, respectively. Their husband, Malam Saminu, who sustained burns while trying to rescue the victims from the fire, is also undergoing treatment.
Family account
Speaking to Daily Trust, Buhari Musa Sa’ad, a younger brother of Firdausi, said the family received a distress call around 3 a.m. informing them that his sister, her husband, and the two children had been set ablaze by her co-wife. According to him, Firdausi had not spent up to two weeks in the matrimonial home before the incident. “She is around 28 years old. The children who got burned are the ones she brought with her from her previous marriage. They are stepchildren to the husband, who works as a tricycle rider,” he added.
Threats and intimidation
A relative of the victim, Rukayya, also told Daily Trust that Firdausi had earlier complained of threats and intimidation from the co-wife before the attack. “We were lying down here when she was brought in, and she told us herself that it was her co-wife who poured petrol on her and lit a match,” she said. Rukayya disclosed that the victim had to leave the house earlier that day because of repeated threats but later returned after intervention by her husband.
