Woman Arraigned For Setting Husband On Fire In Abuja

A woman, Usman Idoko, who was accused of setting her husband on fire was arraigned before an FCT High Court, Abuja.

It was reported that the accused, the deceased's second wife who was yet to have a child for the deceased committed the dastardly act in February this year after a quarrel with the deceased and accusing him of spending too much time with his first wife in Kaduna, who had six kids for him.

The deceased a senior legislative adviser to Senator Mohammed Saleh and a former staff of Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN), Kaduna, Mohammed Ibrahim Matazu, however, did not survive the attack as he died as a result of the severe burns he suffered when his wife set him ablaze.

A prosecution witness, Usman Idoko, on Monday told an FCT High Court that the late journalist, Mohammed Matazu, was taken to three hospitals before he died from injuries sustained from fire set to him by his wife.

Idoko said this while testifying at the trial of Amina Dauda, wife of Matazu, who alleged sprayed the deceased with petrol and set him ablaze in his residence in Gwarinpa, Abuja.

He said the deceased, also a legislative aide to Sen. Mohammed Ibrahim (PDP-Kaduna), was taken to the hospitals by neighbours who were at the crime scene.

Idoko said Matazu was also moved to the National Hospital Abuja, where he was referred to the ABU Teaching Hospital Zaria, Kaduna State.

"My lord, on February 21, 2013, I received news that Matazu had passed on through a letter signed by Sen. Ibrahim. The senator also sent us the death certificate of the late Matazu,'' he said.

After the death of the victim, Idoko said that the accused was arrested and kept at the State Criminal Investigation Department headquarters, Abuja, for further investigation, where he took her statement and read her rights.

After his testimony, the prosecution counsel, Mr Sunday Adewumi, prayed the court for an adjournment for other witnesses to appear in court.

-naij