Woman allegedly poisons co-wife's children in Niger

Following her inability to have children of her own, a woman, Mariya Abdullahi, has allegedly poisoned her co-wife’s two children in Takuti community, Lapai Local Government Area of Niger State.

The affected children, aged four and nine, were said to have drunk a substance suspected to be poison from a cup allegedly given to them by Abdullahi.

One of the children died shortly after drinking the substance, while the second was rushed to the general hospital, where she was receiving treatment.

The incident took place on Friday when Abdullahi allegedly gave the children the substance after being encouraged to do so by a friend.

Abdullahi told the police at the Lapai Division that she decided to poison the children because she had not given her husband a child and had been influenced by her friend to do so.

Wasiu Abiodun, the Niger State Police Command’s spokesman, confirmed the incident on Saturday, saying, “The suspect will be transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department in Minna for further investigation.”

He said that on 6th November 2026 at about 6am, a report was received in Lapai Division that one Mariya Abdullahi of Takuti via Lapai administered some substance suspected to be poison to the children of her co-wife.

He added that the police operatives moved to the scene and discovered the two children, who were nine and four years old, had been given the substance to drink, and as a result, they became unconscious.

He explained that they were immediately rushed to a nearby clinic, but on arrival at the clinic, one of the victims gave up the ghost and the other was referred to the general hospital and was responding to the treatment.

The spokesman stated that the suspect was arrested and now undergoing further interrogation, claiming that she was influenced by a friend to commit the act because she could not bear a child for her husband.

Abiodun explained that she would soon be transferred to the SCID Minna for prosecution.