Nigerian University Student Beats Stepmother To Death, Breaks Father’s Leg

One Najeeb Umar Shehu, an indigene of Katsina State, has reportedly beaten his stepmother to death, Naija News learnt.

The young man, who is said to be a 300 Level student of the Federal University Dutsinma, Katsina, also broke his father’s leg and arm during the chaotic incident.

The eldest child of the family who narrated the incident to newsmen said his brother (Najeeb) had on several occasions threatened to kill their stepmom, Hajiya Hasiya Galadima, who he had developed a hatred for after their father and mother went their separate ways years back.

Hajiya Galadima, according to reports, was a retired civil servant with the Katsina State Government.

Reports revealed that Najeeb’s mother, a Fulani woman from Daura and his father, Shehu Umar Balele, a Zonal Inspector of Education with the Katsina State Ministry of Education have for long gone their separate ways.

Najeeb, who is only 24 years of age as of the time he committed the crime, is reportedly known in the neighbourhood for taking all kinds of drugs and substances.

The boy alleged that his stepmother is responsible for his parent’s separation.

During an encounter with Vanguard, Mustapha Shehu Umar (the eldest son in the family) disclosed that there are several criminal records of his brother Najeeb.

He said they have taken him to the police several times and that whenever they wanted to take action on him, their father would refuse because Najeeb is the last born and the father wanted him to study.

“He (Najeeb) has told our stepmother several times that he doesn’t like her, vowing that he was going to kill her one day.

“We took the report to the Police but no serious action was taken against him. Unfortunately, he smokes and takes all kinds of drugs,” Umar narrated.

According to Umar, on the day of the incident, he was not around and his younger sister had visited them from her husband’s house.

He said: “She use to come every Thursday, to keep our stepmother company.

“Immediately my sister entered the house, Najeeb closed the entrance gate.

“Then he went to our Dad’s sitting room and tricked him to his bedroom to lock him up in the room to avoid him from obstructing his plans but that failed.

“He proceeded to the kitchen and took a pestle and returned to the sitting room where our stepmother was seated with two of her maids and her daughter and closed the door leading to the sitting room.

“Then he said to her: ‘Remember that I promised to kill you one day.’ Without wasting time, he hit her with the pestle twice on the head and she fell to the ground and fainted.

“My sister quickly held him, and they started struggling. God was so kind, she was able to push him down and unlock the sitting room. door and ran out. He got up immediately and chased her.”

Their Dad, according to him, heard the noise, came out and saw Najeeb holding the pestle.

He added: “While trying to protect his daughter, Najeeb knocked him down with the pestle and he also fainted, with his leg broken.

“God so kind, our sister was able to open the compound’s gate and ran out to one of our neighbour’s houses.

“Seeing that she ran away, Najeeb went back inside the sitting room, realizing that our stepmother was still alive, he used the pestle to pound her until he was sure that she is lifeless, disfiguring her face in the process.

“As if that was not enough, he went to my apartment inside the compound. When he saw my wife, he started chasing her but God was so kind she was able to escape to our neighbour’s house with some other women and they locked themselves inside one of the rooms.

“He followed them to the compound but was unable to unlock the door. Then he came to the frontage of the house, threatening that anyone bold enough should come out and challenge him.

“Neighbours who saw him now alerted the police and when they came, they combed the area and finally arrested him around the government house area and took him to the GRA Police Station.”

Naija News learnt that the injured father is currently being treated at the Orthopaedic Unit of the Katsina Teaching Hospital, while the stepmother has been buried according to Islamic rites.