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Aladi Sule (pictured above) lies critically ill at the Federal Medical
Centre, Lokoja, Kogi State. Her body is wrapped in bandage, from the
head to the chest. Part of her back and her right leg are socked in
foil. One of her eyes has been “eaten” by acid and her right ear is
rolled into a small ball. Aladi’s critical situation is no thanks to
an alleged angry ex-lover who was said to have promised to destroy
her beauty and fulfilled his promise.
Two months ago, 25 year old Aladi was a pretty lady in her community,
Idah, the headquarters of Idah Local Government Area of Kogi State. And
today, she says she's suffering because she failed to take serious the
threat of her ex-lover, Kazeem Abdullahi, who, she alleged, had come to
her fruits shop, to deal with her if she failed to pack out of the house
he rented for her. Sunday Vanguard
gathered that Aladi and the suspect were secondary school lovers in
Idah.
Shortly after their secondary school education, Aladi became pregnant
for him in 2011, a development that caused Aladi to moved into
Kazeem’s house. The pregnancy produced a baby girl. Unfortunately, the
baby died shortly after her first birthday. Kazeem was said to have
married another wife in 2011 who also moved into the house with them –
that was the beginning of Aladi’s travail.
The new wife was said to have raised the alarm shortly after that Aladi
was the reason she was unable to conceive. She alleged that Aladi had
been visiting a neighboring community to affect her spiritually.
The second wife was also said to have alleged that the sudden
disappearance of her clothes and other house hold items was a product of
Aladi’s spiritual attack; a development that made Kazeem to send
Aladi’s away to her family house. Few months after, Kazeem was said to
have approached Aladi to return to the house. This time around,
Aladi’s family kicked against it. The paternal uncle was said to have
frowned against it.
He was said to have told Kazeem to prepare for marriage rites before he
could get her back to his house. His position was hinged on the fact
that Aladi was subjected to such maltreatment because there was no
proper marriage between them. Kazeem promised to perform the marriage
rite. In the interim, he rented a house, for her. However, few months
after, Kazeem was said to have recanted and said he was no longer
interested in continuing with the marriage.
The family was said to have raised money for Aladi which she used to
start the business of selling provision in the market in day time and,
in the evening, retired to her street corner ( Bishop Junction) selling
fruits. Bishop Junction is a popular area of Idah with taxi and Okada
riders using the place as their park. In few months, she was able to
raise fund and was already planning to seek admission to the university.
post by expdonaloaded.blogspot.com
It was at this Bishop Junction that Kazeem approached her and demanded
that she pack out of the house he rented for her.
“He told me to pack out, threatening to deal with me.
He said he was going to recreate me and make me ugly saying it was
because men were still looking at me that made me think I was pretty. He
also said if I failed to pack out, he will deal with me and destroy the
beauty that I was using to ‘pose’ around town. I thought he was just
jealous that I was looking good and making progress with my business
after he said he was no longer interested in me. I told him it was
mere anger and I decided to ignore his warning.”
Aladi also said she did not bother to inform any of her family members
about the threat until the sad event happened.
Not done, Kazeem was said to have approached the land lady he rented the
house from, urging her to send Aladi’s packing.
The landlady was said to have informed him that she could not send her
away on the grounds that she had been able to renew the house rent on
her own. Kazeem was said to have stormed out of the building but not
before telling the land lady to expect him back in a manner she will
never forget.
Two weeks later, it happened. Aladi said it was around midnight when she
was sleeping at home with her niece staying with her. Because of the
heat, she decided to open her door; afterall, some occupants of the
building were also sleeping outside. She said she was woken up by the
sound of her niece struggling with a man beside her on the bed.
”I saw my niece struggling with him
Kazeem was holding a container in his hand. post by expdonaloaded.blogspot.comImmediately I saw him, I
began to scream his name but, before my shout could attract people, he
had already poured the content on me. Immediately, it felt as if my
body was set up on fire. I didn’t know what happened next until I found
myself at the village cottage clinic”.
The niece was also affected at the head as the acid poured on her. It
was from the hospital that she was referred to the Federal Medical
Centre, Lokoja where she spent one month at the emergency ward before
being transferred to the theater for her first surgery and now lies in
critical condition at the female surgical ward.
Her sister, Fatima Sule, who is looking after her, said the family
received a distress call from a neighbor, who heard her shouting and
rushed to her room. The neighbor was said to have seen a familiar figure
bolting out of the room, and, on getting inside, saw her with the acid
sprayed on her body. They immediately rushed her to the village clinic.
“When we got to the hospital I could not identify my sister again.
Part of her body had been burnt beyond recognition”.
The elder brother, Isiaka Sule, a VIO officer, who has been responsible
for the medical payment, said it was around 2 o’clock in the night when
her sister, Fatima, called him to say their sister had been bathed with
acid. Isiaka said the next day he and some family member went to the
police station in the community to lodge a complaint. But to their
surprise, Kazeem was said to have been there to lodge a similar
complaint.
But Kazeem, in his statement, told the police that he heard that a lady
in her street (even though he allegedly lives far away from the place)
had been bathed with acid. He was quoted as saying he only came to the
station to report as a good citizen and because some people may say he
was the one who did it. Aladi from the sick bed, insisted the estranged
lover was the person she saw on the day she was attacked.
The police arrested Kazeem but three days later set him free as
his(Kazeem) parents promised to take care of Aladi’s medical bill. The
Sule family decided against pursuing the case in court, opting instead
to focus on saving the life of their sister.
“How can I have the time, energy or money to go to court or
continue visiting the police station when our sister is still lying
critically ill in hospital? As I speak with you we have spent over
N300,000 on her treatment. I have even taken a soft loan of N100, 000
from Sharp – Sharp. That along with the money from sympathizers has all
been expended. We have exceeded our financial limit,”Isiaka said.
Aladi still has a long way to go. The doctors treating her said there
are two other surgeries to be carried out aside the fact that her right
eye had been lost and the right ear eaten by the acid. Since the
doctors could not get vein in her hands; they had to lacerate one of her
legs in order to pass drips. Aladi fears she may not be able to walk
again.
“All I’m after is to be able to walk again. Presently I cannot put
my leg on the ground . I know I am already disfigured. I also know that
he (Kazeem) has succeeded in his plan.I don’t care about my body or
look again; I just hope I can walk,” she stated.
The doctors however give a glimpse of hope. The laceration of Aladi’s
leg will not make her paralyzed. They said she will still be able to use
the leg to walk again. The families are however in the dilemma on how
to raise money for the other surgeries and pay medical bills that will
arise. The efforts of the family to approach Kogi State Government
through the Ministry of Women Affairs have not yielded positive result.
The family is appealing to individuals and organizations to come to
their aid to give their sister ‘life’ again. The family can be assisted
through the following account: ISIAKA SULE, U.B.A, LOKOJA, Account
Number: 2032301751.
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