A middle-aged woman has died in Bauchi State after allegedly setting herself on fire with petrol at a family residence, the state police command has confirmed.
The incident, which occurred on Thursday, shocked residents of the community. According to the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), SP Ahmed Wakil, the woman had arrived at the residence carrying a gallon of petrol and requested to see one Yelwa Abubakar Balewa.
“When she was informed that Yelwa was not around, she poured the petrol on her body and set herself ablaze. Neighbours and eyewitnesses quickly intervened and rushed her to the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital (ATBUTH), but unfortunately, she later died due to severe burns,” Wakil told journalists in Bauchi.
Preliminary investigations, Wakil added, suggest the woman may have been mentally unstable.
Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police, CP Sani-Omolori Aliyu, has ordered a thorough investigation into the incident to uncover the circumstances surrounding the tragedy.
