A midnight fire in Mangwarori, Kano, has left a family battling for survival after an alleged arson attack by a co-wife. This feature explores the victims’ harrowing experiences, family tensions, police response, and psychological insights into domestic conflict, writes LONGTONG YAKUBU
In the quiet hours before dawn on 12 May 2026, Mangwarori Quarters in Mariri, Kumbotso Local Government Area of Kano State, was thrown into chaos as flames tore through a modest room, leaving behind charred walls, broken lives, and a community in shock. What authorities have described as a case of alleged arson has since evolved into a deeply troubling human-interest story—one that exposes the fragile fault lines of domestic relationships and the psychological pressures simmering beneath them.
At the centre of the tragedy is a 32-year-old woman, Maryam Usman, accused of setting fire to the room of her co-wife, an act that left four members of the same family with varying degrees of burns. The victims—Firdausi Musa, her two young children, and her husband—are currently receiving treatment at the Murtala Muhammad Specialist Hospital and the National Orthopaedic Hospital, Dala, Kano.
A Bride’s Early Warning
For Firdausi Musa, the ordeal began barely days into her marriage. What should have been the beginning of a new, beautiful chapter quickly became a test of endurance. Recounting her experience, she said the first sign of trouble was a confrontation.
“My first encounter with her was when she came at me with a turning stick,” Firdausi said. “I reported it to my husband and even left the house briefly because I didn’t want conflict so early in my marriage,” Firdausi added.
Though she temporarily sought refuge with her younger sister for a day, she later returned after discussions with family members and reassurances from her husband, a commercial tricycle operator, who also scolded and advised them as co-wives upon her return. All bade farewell around past 11:00 p.m.m, and departed to their rooms – it was her turn for the husband to have a sleepover in her apartment. But to them, the scale of violence that would follow was unknown.
The Attack and Night of Flames
The attack, she said, came suddenly and without warning. On that fateful night, Firdausi was in her room with her husband and her two children—five-year-old Khadijat and two-year-old Ismail—both from her previous marriage. While the children slept, the couple remained awake, unaware of the danger about to unfold.
“She came in quietly, poured petrol, lit it, and shut the door,” Firdausi recounted.
The fire spread rapidly, turning the small room into a death trap within seconds. In the chaos that followed, survival instincts took over.
“My husband rushed out when he saw what was happening. I followed, but the fire had already spread,” she said. “He still went back inside and managed to rescue the two children.”
That act of bravery came at a cost. He sustained burns to his legs, while Firdausi and the children also suffered injuries.
“God saved us,” she said, her voice trembling. “If we had all been asleep, the story would have been different.
Family Accounts: A Pattern of Threats
While Firdausi maintains there was no prolonged dispute, her relatives paint a picture of lingering tension and unspoken fear.
A family member, Rukayya, disclosed that Firdausi had previously raised concerns about threats and intimidation from her co-wife.
