Boy suffers severe beating for stoning olive tree

By IBRAHIM KANOMA,  Gusau

Residents of Janyau in Gusau Local Government Area of Zamfara State were astonished over attempted murder of a seven-year old boy, by name Suleman Ahmad, sighted along with a friend stonning an Olive  Tree, popularly known as ‘Zaitun’ infront of his house.

Narrating what transpired, father of the victim, Malan Ahmed Tijjani, told journalists that his neighbour, who was a staff of King Fahad Hospital, Mallam Lawali Musa, had on Wednesday picked his son and his friend,  who he said were put inside his house, where he had beaten him until when the victims’ sister raised alarm.

She had informed her mother that her elder brother was taken into the neighbour’s house and was being beaten by him.

“When my wife heard this terrible incidence, she rushed to my neighbour’s house and found that the house was locked and he was only busy beating the innocent child, untill when we forcefully opened the gate and rescued the little boy.

“We took the matter to the nearest police station at Janyau Outpost, but because of the fear, we equally reported the matter to the Human Right Defender Gusau branch, and they quickly rereported the case to the Central Police station.

“We are appealing to all the authorities concern to assist to see that the perpetrator face the wrath of the law with a view to serve as deterrant to others, considering the fact my son was the third person whom this man had molested because of the Olive Tree.

“We found that there were traces of cane almost every where on the body of Suleman Ahmad including his head, face, chest and his back, and that led to made him unconcious with even fear that it might have affected his reasoning organ,” he.said.

When contacted, the Zamfara State Human Right Defender Coordinator, Comrade Salisu Umar, told Journaliats that the case of murder attempt was brought to them, and that it immidiately swung into action by reporting it to Gusau Central Police station.

“As I am talking to you now, the culprilt is in police custody and investigation is going on, and at our own side we must make sure that justice is done to seven year old Suleman Ahmed.

“We learnt that the culprit Lawal Musa has done this type of maltreatment to two other small children because of an Olive Tree that is infront of his house,” he added.