Victoria Emmanuel,a 14-Year-Old girl is battling for her dear life
after being bathed with acid by a boy on her birthday.
The incident occurred on March 29, around the night
market in Mafoluku, Oshodi, Lagos Mainland.
While her peers were pouring water on her body, a 13- year-old boy,
Moshood Yusuf,
allegedly entered a shop,
picked up a bottle and
emptied its content on Victoria.
Witnesses said Yusuf thought he was pouring a disinfectant known as
Izal on the girl.
When The Nation visited the victim's 1, Babaelegbe Street, Mafoluku
home yesterday, Yusuf's parents were there begging her family.
Victoria said she told Yusuf
not to pour the content of the
bottle on her since they did
not know what was inside. She said: "It was my
birthday. I had told my
friends the previous Monday that Wednesday March 29 was my birthday.
So, when I went to fetch water at the night market that night, those
who came to my house to rejoice with me followed me.
"I was carrying a big bucket on my head but on the road, they put it
down and started pouring the water on me to celebrate my birthday.
Some were pouring dirty water on me and others sand.
That was how Moshood ran
into a shop and brought out a container. There was
something inside and I told
him not to pour it on me because we don't know what was in it. He
opened it, smelled it and
said it smelt like chemical.
We told him again that he
shouldn't pour that on me but he didn't listen. As I walked past him,
he poured the content on my body from
behind. I screamed and ran
towards the tap but he got
there before me and opened
it so that water would pour
on my body. "While I was under the tap, the woman who owns the place
chased us away that I was wasting her water, though she owed me N70.
That was the last thing I remembered. I was later told that I fainted
and was rushed to Edmark Hospital. I was discharged in the evening of
the following day because my daddy insisted he wanted to take me to
General Hospital. So, I was moved to Lagos State University Teaching
Hospital (LASUTH) where they have been giving me treatment.
"Moshood was arrested by policemen from Makinde but he was later
released. He has not come to see me since then but his parents have
been coming. We didn't fight. We have never quarrelled. He's my
friend. I don't know what happened. Although, one Ganiyu claimed that
he told him he was going to hurt me, I don't know if that's true.
"They said they have asked him where he got acid from but he insisted
he thought it was Izal that was inside. He said he was looking for a
container to enable him carry more water and pour on me. But the shop
owner has denied keeping any acid in her shop. The woman was crying
and swearing that she didn't
keep anything like that since she has little children, who could have
easily gotten to it." Victoria's mother, Mrs.
Chidinma Emmanuel
lamented the hardship the
incident has caused her
family, saying that she has
not been able to concentrate on her petty trade.
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