Operatives of the Katsina State Police Command have arrested a 35-year-old suspect, Sahabi Rabi’u, over the killing of a nursing mother and her infant in Sheme village, Faskari Local Council of the state.

The police said the victims, a 30-year-old woman and her 10-month-old baby, were allegedly lured to a secluded area on the outskirts of the community, where they were murdered. Police investigations revealed that their bodies were subsequently burned and thrown into a nearby well.

The command’s spokesperson, Abubakar Aliyu, said the suspect, who had been on the police wanted list, confessed during interrogation to his role in the crime. He reportedly told investigators that he acted with an accomplice who is currently on the run.

According to the police, the attack was triggered by a paternity dispute involving the victims, which later escalated into the fatal incident.

The police said the bodies had been recovered, while efforts had been intensified to track down the fleeing suspect.

The Katsina State Commissioner of Police, Bello Shehu, described the killings as “barbaric and inhumane,” vowing that those responsible would be brought to justice.