Breastfeeding Mother Hospitalised After Alleged Hot-Water Attack by Stepmother

A breastfeeding mother, Zara Muhammad, has been hospitalised after allegedly suffering severe burns when her stepmother reportedly pushed her into spilled boiling water during a domestic dispute in Maiduguri, Borno State.

The incident reportedly occurred in the Kofa area of the city, August 23 following an argument between the two women.

A neighbour, who also identified herself as Zara, said residents were alerted by the victim’s screams and rushed to the house.
According to the neighbour, she found the stepmother allegedly holding Muhammad down on the hot water.

She said she intervened and managed to pull the woman away, but not before the victim had sustained serious burns.

Residents claimed that Muhammad had faced difficult circumstances since becoming pregnant after the man reportedly responsible for the pregnancy abandoned her.

They further alleged that her parents had pressured her to terminate the pregnancy, but she refused.

The situation was said to have become more difficult after she gave birth, with residents alleging that she was subjected to hunger and other forms of maltreatment during disagreements with her stepmother.

Recounting what happened, Muhammad said the dispute began after her young daughter attempted to enter her stepmother’s room.

According to her, the woman stopped the child, prompting her to intervene and take the toddler away.

She alleged that the disagreement continued for about three days, during which her stepmother reportedly threatened to stop providing food for her and her daughter.

Muhammad said the situation escalated when she responded that she believed God would provide for her and her child.

She alleged that her stepmother then attacked her and pressed her into boiling water that had been spilled on the floor.

Witnesses claimed that the victim was left in severe pain following the incident and initially did not receive adequate medical attention.

However, her father reportedly rejected the allegation of neglect, insisting that his daughter was taken to a hospital.

Following the intervention of the Borno State Commissioner for Women Affairs, Hajiya Zuweira Gambo, a response team reportedly evacuated Muhammad to a medical facility, where she is receiving treatment for the burns.

The alleged attacker was also reportedly arrested and taken into security custody as authorities investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident.

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