By Fathiat Abdulsalam
The Zamfara State Hisbah Commission has arrested a woman named Khadija Abdullah in the Gadar Baga area of Gusau over allegations of engaging in witchcraft-related activities.
According to a statement issued on Tuesday by the commission’s Public Relations Officer, Umar Haruna Tsafe, the arrest followed complaints from community leaders who accused the suspect of carrying out alleged spiritual practices at her residence, prompting operatives to conduct a raid.
The Director of Operations of the commission, Lawal Abubakar Maradun, said the suspect admitted during interrogation that she used certain perfumes and claimed to be possessed by spirits, after which she would recite prayers into water and give it to people as a form of treatment.
The commission also said another woman, identified as Asiya Lawal, who was found at the residence, told officials she had visited the house seeking treatment for what she described as a spiritual ailment.
A resident of the area was quoted by the commission as saying that the house had become a popular destination for people seeking traditional or spiritual remedies both during the day and at night.
The Chairman of the Zamfara State Hisbah Commission, Sheikh Umar Hassan Gusau, directed that investigations be intensified to establish the authenticity of the allegations and ensure that appropriate action is taken.