11-year-old boy survives his mother’s attempt to cut him in two

The boy was admitted in hospital (rushed in with exposed intestines) last week after Joy Akule, his mother – who is 28 and now under arrest – tried to divide him in two due to a child custody battle with his father, Thomas Kationa.

According to Ibrahim K. Idris, who is the Kano police commissioner, she did it to end her relationship with Kationa when he would not take care of the child and would not grant her custody. “He would not take care of him and even when I sent money for that purpose, he would not do,” Akule said.

The woman, in a hush-laden voice, told journalists, “I wanted to cut the relationship, so, I attempted to cut this boy so that his father can take his share and I take my share.”       

The commissioner had also spoken on the arrest of a fake police corporal Shehu Garba, who claimed to be serving at Birnin Kebbi and was on a sick leave but engaged in defrauding people in Kano.