A middle-aged woman believed to be mentally unstable has died after setting herself on fire within the family compound of Nigeria’s first Prime Minister, Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, in Bauchi.
The incident occurred on September 26 when the woman arrived at the residence in a commercial tricycle, carrying a gallon of petrol. Witnesses said she asked to see Yelwa Abubakar Balewa, daughter of the late Prime Minister and Chairperson of the Bauchi State Orphans and Vulnerable Children Agency (BASOVCA). When informed that Yelwa was not at home, the woman reportedly moved to the main entrance, poured petrol on herself, and struck a match.
Her cries attracted people to the scene, who attempted to put out the flames by pouring water, but the effort worsened the fire. She was rushed to the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital (ATBUTH), where she later died of severe burns.
The Bauchi State Police Command confirmed the development. Police spokesperson, CSP Mohammed Ahmed Wakil, described the incident as “most unfortunate,” adding that the victim had initially survived long enough to state succumbing to her injuries.
According to the police, the woman—said to be the daughter of a late Sharia Court judge in Bauchi—claimed she mistook the petrol for water. Investigations later revealed she had a history of mental illness, which reportedly began after the birth of her last child.
The Bauchi Police Commissioner, CP Sani-Omolori Aliyu, has directed further investigations into the matter. The deceased’s body has since been released to her family for burial.
