Woman St@bs Husband in Brut@l Att@ck Over Alleged Plan to Take a Second Wife
A quiet rural night in Kuta, a community under Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger State, turned into a scene of horror and disbelief in the early hours of Saturday, November 1, 2025. At approximately 2:30 a.m., a domestic dispute between a couple, once seen as peaceful and closely knit, escalated into a bloody confrontation that has now left a man fighting for his life and his wife in police custody.
The shocking incident has reignited national conversations about marital violence, gendered emotional instability, the moral boundaries of polygamy, and the fragile realities of relationships in rural Nigeria where cultural norms often clash with personal emotions.
The assailant, identified as Halima Salisu, allegedly launched a knife attack on her husband, Salisu Suleiman, after learning that he was allegedly planning to take a second wife. Salisu, who was reportedly asleep when the incident occurred, suffered deep knife wounds to his neck and sustained severe damage to his left eye.
According to eyewitnesses and family members, the couple’s relationship had been strained for weeks, as rumours of Salisu’s intended second marriage spread across the community. Halima, who is said to have vehemently opposed the idea, had allegedly confronted her husband several times before the tragic incident.
The attack reportedly happened in the early hours of the morning, when most members of the Kuta community were asleep. Neighbours told local journalists that they were awakened by frantic screams from the couple’s home.
“I heard him shouting for help. By the time we rushed there, the wife was standing over him, her clothes stained with blood, and he was bleeding heavily from the neck,” said a neighbour identified as Malam Idris.
According to Idris, the husband was immediately rushed to the General Hospital in Kuta, where doctors, after stabilizing him, referred him to the IBB Specialist Hospital in Minna due to the severity of his injuries.
“His neck was deeply cut, and his left eye was damaged. We didn’t think he would survive the bleeding,” Idris added, shaking his head.
Residents of Kuta described the couple as ordinary villagers living a modest life. Salisu, in his late thirties, is said to be a farmer and part-time commercial motorcycle operator, while Halima, in her early thirties, runs a small food stall close to the market.
The couple had been married for about 10 years and were known to have three children together. According to community members, they had lived peacefully for most of their marriage until rumours began circulating that Salisu intended to take another wife.
A close relative, who pleaded anonymity, disclosed that Salisu’s family had allegedly pressured him into marrying another woman who was a cousin’s widow — a practice that is culturally common in some northern Nigerian communities.
“His parents and uncles told him that marrying the widow would keep the family name and support her children. But Halima opposed it strongly. She said she couldn’t share her husband,” the relative said.
Polygamy is legally recognized under Islamic law in Nigeria and is widely practiced in the northern region. However, it remains a sensitive issue that has often triggered emotional crises and domestic violence.
In Niger State, as in many parts of northern Nigeria, men are permitted to marry up to four wives under Sharia law, provided they can treat each one fairly. Yet, the realities on the ground show that many women struggle emotionally and psychologically when faced with the prospect of a co-wife.
Social analysts point out that the incident between Halima and Salisu underscores a recurring pattern in which suppressed resentment, jealousy, and fear of neglect explode into violent outbursts.
Dr. Rakiya Adamu, a sociologist at the Federal University of Technology, Minna, described the attack as a symptom of deeper societal tensions around marriage and gender expectations.
“In communities where polygamy is accepted, women are often told to endure it as part of religious duty. But for many, the emotional cost is unbearable. When the sense of betrayal grows without avenues for dialogue or support, the result can be catastrophic,” she explained.
Economic hardship also appears to have played a role in fueling the couple’s conflict. Residents say that Salisu’s income had dwindled significantly over the past year due to banditry and insecurity affecting local farming communities in Niger State.
The declining household income reportedly led to frequent quarrels over feeding, school fees, and Halima’s frustration with bearing the financial burden alone.
“She was the one selling food to feed the children most times,” another neighbour, Maryam Abdullahi, said. “Then she started hearing that her husband wanted to marry another woman. It broke her completely. She said he wanted to abandon her after she suffered with him.”
While Halima’s exact motive remains under police investigation, early reports suggest that she had been emotionally distraught for days before the attack.
Investigators from the Niger State Police Command revealed that the suspect waited until her husband was fast asleep before launching the assault with a kitchen knife.
“She used a sharp knife to cut his neck and attempted to stab his eyes. We believe it was a premeditated act motivated by jealousy,” said DSP Wasiu Abiodun, spokesperson for the Niger State Police Command.
According to Abiodun, Halima has been arrested and is cooperating with the investigation. The police say she will be charged to court once the investigation is concluded.
At the IBB Specialist Hospital in Minna, medical staff confirmed that Salisu sustained deep lacerations around his neck and facial area. A hospital source disclosed that he underwent emergency surgery to control the bleeding and save his left eye.
“He lost a lot of blood before he arrived. We had to transfuse him immediately. His condition is now stable, but the damage to his eye is severe,” the source said.
As of Monday, November 3, family members say Salisu is still recuperating in the hospital, though he has not been able to speak due to the neck injuries.
The Kuta community has been left in shock. Many residents expressed disbelief that Halima, described as a quiet woman, could commit such a violent act.
“I never saw her as someone capable of this,” said a market trader who identified herself as Zainab. “She was calm and respectful. Maybe she couldn’t control her anger. But taking a knife to your husband is something we can’t understand.”
The local chief of Kuta, Alhaji Musa Ibrahim, condemned the attack and urged families to seek peaceful resolution to marital disputes.
“V!olence can never solve the problems of the home,” he said. “We must learn to bring our grievances to elders or religious leaders. Taking the law into your own hands destroys families and communities.”
Under Nigerian law, attempted murder carries a severe penalty. If Salisu succumbs to his injuries, the charge could escalate to culpable homicide punishable by death under Section 221 of the Penal Code.
However, legal experts suggest that mental or emotional provocation could be considered as mitigating factors.
Barrister Musa Garba, a Minna-based legal practitioner, explained:
“In cases like this, the court will examine the psychological state of the accused. If she acted in a moment of temporary insanity or extreme emotional distress, it might reduce the gravity of the charge — but not absolve her of guilt.”
The Niger State Ministry of Justice has already dispatched a prosecutor to liaise with the police for case preparation.
The Niger State incident adds to a worrying trend of domestic violence cases being reported across Nigeria, with both men and women increasingly turning to violence in moments of anger or suspicion.
According to data from the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Nigeria recorded over 4,000 reported cases of domestic violence in 2024 alone, with more than 1,200 incidents reported in the northern states.
While many of these cases involve women as victims, an emerging pattern shows that men are increasingly becoming targets of violent retaliation from their spouses.
Psychologists attribute this to economic hardship, infidelity, mistrust, and the erosion of traditional conflict-resolution mechanisms.
This case also raises questions about how religious and cultural institutions handle marital conflict. In Islamic communities, disputes of this nature are typically expected to be resolved through elders or Shariah mediation panels.
However, experts argue that many of these systems have lost credibility due to gender bias and lack of confidentiality.
“Women often feel trapped,” said Dr. Amina Aliyu, a gender rights activist based in Minna. “When they cry out, they’re told to be patient. When they fight back, they’re condemned. We must begin to address the psychological health of both partners in marriage.”
Dr. Aliyu also stressed that early counseling, emotional education, and community sensitization could prevent such tragedies.
For Salisu and Halima’s children, the incident marks the beginning of an uncertain future. Family members say the children, who are between the ages of 5 and 10, are now staying with relatives in Minna.
“The children saw the blood. They are traumatized,” said one aunt. “We don’t know what will happen next. Their father is in the hospital, and their mother is in the police cell.”
Social workers are reportedly liaising with the Niger State Ministry of Women Affairs to ensure the children receive counseling and support.
Beyond its immediate tragedy, the case of Halima and Salisu raises critical questions about emotional intelligence, mental health, and conflict management in Nigerian households.
Experts have long warned that unresolved marital tensions, coupled with societal pressures and lack of support systems, can turn domestic spaces into danger zones.
The World Health Organization (WHO) classifies intimate partner violence as one of the leading global causes of injury to women and men alike. In Nigeria, cultural taboos around marital issues often prevent victims from seeking help early enough.
“Many families still see it as a shame to report domestic abuse. This culture of silence fuels tragedy,” said human rights lawyer Inibehe Effiong, who has consistently advocated for stronger domestic violence laws and rehabilitation centres for victims.
Civil society groups are now calling for stronger preventive measures, including community-level awareness campaigns, early counseling, and the establishment of emergency hotlines for domestic crises in rural areas.
The Niger State Civil Society Forum (NSCSF) in a statement on Monday said:
“This incident is not just about one woman’s rage. It is about the absence of safe spaces for people to talk about emotional pain and relationship stress before it explodes into tragedy. We call on the government to create local support networks and improve access to psychological care.”
As Salisu Suleiman fights for his life at the IBB Specialist Hospital, and as his wife, Halima, awaits trial, one truth echoes from the bloodstained home in Kuta — love, when strained by poverty, jealousy, and silence, can turn lethal.
Theirs is not just a story of violence, but of a society struggling to balance tradition with modern emotional realities. It is a wake-up call to revisit how Nigerians understand marriage, communication, and forgiveness in a rapidly changing world.
In the end, the tragic scene in Kuta reminds us that no marriage, however troubled, should end in blood. For the sake of their children — and for countless other families silently suffering across the country — the lessons from this painful incident must not be ignored.