Nigeria: 14-year-old child-bride faces death penalty for killing 35-year-old husband she'd just wed and three other people by lacing their food with rat poison

14-year-old Nigerian child bride, Wasila Tasi'u is facing the death penalty for allegedly murdering her 35-year-old husband with rat poison.

Prosecutors alleged that Wasila, from Unguwar Yansoro, the northern Nigeria, laced her husband Umar Sani's food with poison - because she's unhappy with the marriage.

However, she is also accused of the murder of three other people, who were said to have died suddenly after eating the same meal prepared for a post-wedding celebration in the village of Unguwar Yansoro.

But the trial has angered activists who claim a girl who married a man more than 20 years her senior should be treated as a victim. 

The case was opened yesterday with testimony from a seven-year-old child Hamziyya, sister of Sani's 'co-wife' (a woman the deceased farmer had married previously) who was living in the same house as Tasi'u and her husband at the time, She said she was given money and sent to buy the poison on the same day Sani died. She testified that Tasi'u gave her N80 (equivalent to $0.45, 0.36 euros) to buy rat poison from a local shop on April 5. Because, she said rats were disturbing her in her room.

Wasila Tasi'u's parents

According to reports, Shopkeeper Abuwa Yusuf from the town of Unguwar Yansoro supported the story and confirmed selling the poison to the girl. 

Abdulrahim Ibrahim-a neighbour told the court that he was also offered the food allegedly prepared by Tasi'u - and saw Sani looking 'visibly ill' after eating. Abdulrahim added that he took Sani home and learnt that three others who ate the food had died suddenly. 

Prosecutors allege that Tasiu's poison food killed four people and have joined all the reported deaths into one murder charge. 

Judge Mohammed Yahaya, sitting at the Gezawa High Court, has entered a plea of not guilty for Tasi'u, who refused to respond at a previous hearing on October 30 when the charges were put to her. The judge has rejected defence applications for the case to be transferred to a juvenile court.   

The last time Nigeria sentenced a juvenile to death was in 1997, according to Human Rights Watch. The case continues.

Source: Daily Mail

Photo Credit: AFP/Getty Images