A woman, identified as Mariya Abdullahi, has been arrested by the Niger State Police Command for allegedly poisoning her co-wife’s two children in Takuti community, Lapai Local Government Area of the state.
One of the children, aged four, reportedly died after consuming a substance suspected to be poison, while the other, aged nine, is receiving medical treatment at a general hospital.
The incident reportedly occurred around 6am on Friday, November 6, 2026, when Abdullahi allegedly gave the children the substance in a cup.
The Niger State Police Command spokesman, Wasiu Abiodun, confirmed the incident in a statement issued on Saturday.
According to the police, operatives attached to the Lapai Division received a report about the incident and immediately moved to the scene, where they found the two children unconscious.
They were subsequently rushed to a nearby clinic, but one of them was pronounced dead on arrival, while the other was referred to a general hospital for further treatment.
Abiodun said the suspect had been arrested and was undergoing interrogation.
He added that preliminary investigations indicated that Abdullahi claimed she was influenced by a friend to commit the act because she had been unable to bear a child for her husband.
The police spokesman said the suspect would be transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department in Minna for further investigation and prosecution.
The police assured that investigations into the incident were ongoing.
