The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Yobe State has apprehended a 65-year-old man, Mohammed Baburam, on allegations of chaining and starving his wife for an entire year in Potiskum.
DSC Bala Garba, the spokesperson for the Command, confirmed the arrest during an interview with journalists in Damaturu on Friday.
The disturbing images of a 40-year-old woman in chains, who is also a mother of four, had circulated widely in the state, prompting residents and civil society groups to demand the immediate arrest of Baburam.
Garba disclosed that Baburam was taken into custody on Wednesday following a tip-off from the Dabo-Aliyu Stadium area where the suspect and his victim resided.
“Preliminary investigation revealed that the suspect only provides his wife with one meal daily,” Garba stated. “The suspect claimed to have chained his wife due to her mental health issues.”
The NSCDC spokesman mentioned that the command had engaged forensic experts and a doctor to assess the victim’s health.
The spokesman further noted that, following the investigation, the suspect would be brought before the court to face appropriate charges.