A 14-year-old child bride from Nigeria poisoned her older husband, she confessed, police report.
Wasilu Umaru, from the northern state of Kano, admitted to killing her 35-year-old husband by hiding rat poison in his food.
Wasilu, who married Umaru Sani last week, planned the deadly meal for their wedding celebration feast, held 60 miles from their home city. Wasilu also managed to kill three of Sani's friends and hospitalize 10 others.
"The suspect confessed to the act and claimed that because she does not love her husband, she resorted to taking this option. Corpses were taken to hospital for examination. Investigation is on top gear," the police spokesman said, according to the New York Post.
Musa Magaji Majiya, representing the Kano State Police Command, told the website CKN Nigeria that Wasila bought the rodent pesticide known as Shinkafa Bera at a village market for less than a penny. Nigeria news reports did not disclose what dish the girl prepared, but said it did involve rice.
Child marriage is common in Nigeria, especially in the mainly impoverished, Muslim-populated north. Fifty percent of Nigerian girls living in rural areas are married before they turn 18, according to the U.N. children's agency. Nigeria is made up of 170 million people, half whom are under 18 years old.
BBC's Will Ross in Nigeria says Islamic police are trying to stop parents from forcing children into marriages against their will. Wasila's father forced the match, and will possibly face charges as mandatory marriage is classified as modern-day slavery by the U.N. labor organization, and Nigeria's Child Rights Act prohibits marriage before age 18, The Associated Press stated.
Police reported Thursday that Wasilu has been fully cooperating with law enforcement and will probably be charged with culpable homicide. The preteen will likely be tried in a juvenile court.
