The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Jigawa State on Wednesday identified the body of a three-year-old girl who was raped and murdered, her body later dumped in a bush in the state’s Kiyawa Local Government Area.
The victim, identified as Harira Yakubu Bala, a resident of Sabon Gari, Kiyawa Local Government Area, was earlier reported missing by her parents on Tuesday, according to a statement issued by NSCDC Jigawa State Command Public Relations Officer, ASC Badruddeen Tijjani Mahmud.
“The command has expressed deep concern and condemnation over the tragic murder,” the statement said, noting the lifeless body was discovered in a nearby bush on Wednesday with “multiple injuries.”
NSCDC personnel from the Kiyawa Divisional Office were mobilised to the scene, secured the area, and evacuated the body to a hospital for medical examination and investigation.
The examination “confirmed that the deceased child had been raped, molested, and murdered by yet-to-be-identified persons,” ASC Badaruddeen said.
State Commandant CC Muhammad Kabiru Ingawa directed the Intelligence and Investigation Department to work with the Kiyawa Divisional Office and other security agencies to ensure the perpetrators of the “heinous act are arrested and brought to justice.”
The remains of the deceased have since been released to the family for burial in accordance with Islamic rites, the command added.
The NSCDC condemned the act, urging residents to “remain calm, vigilant, and to promptly report any suspicious movement or persons to the nearest security formation.