A 37-year-old housewife, Fatima Abubakar, has been sentenced to one year in prison by the Chief Magistrate Court II in Yola, Adamawa State, for abusing her stepchildren.
The sentence, which must be served in a correctional facility without the option of a fine, follows her conviction for torturing two children, Usman Abubakar, 3, and Hafsat Abubakar, 2.
Fatima, who resides in Sanda Makama B Ward in Yola South Local Government Area, was arrested on October 5, 2024, after the abuse was reported. Along with her husband, Abubakar Yuguda, the father of the children, she was charged with child abuse, a violation of sections 60 and 209 of the Adamawa State Penal Code.
Presiding over the case, Magistrate M. A. Adamu found Fatima guilty of cruelty to persons.
In addition to the prison sentence, she was ordered to pay N100,000 to the government and N150,000 for the children’s medical treatment.
Fatima admitted to torturing her stepchildren, who had been left in her care. Her husband, also charged in the case, was granted bail pending further hearings after meeting the bail conditions.
