A 14-year-old girl's birthday celebration turned tragic after a male friend of hers emptied a bottle of acid on her, thinking it was a popular strong disinfectant known as Izal. Victoria Emmanuel had left her home in Mafoluku, Oshodi, to fetch water somewhere around the night market close by when the incident occurred on March 21.
The victim was met by her friends on her way to the tap and they began to pour water on her in celebration. Some poured dirty water on her, some poured sand. Soon after, the culprit Moshood Yusuf, 13, arrived then he entered a shop, picked a bottle and emptied the content on Victoria even after she warned him not to. She fainted soon after and was taken to the hospital. Parents of the boy have been going to plead with the parents of the victim and have constantly shown their support.
Speaking to The Nation, Victoria, who is currently recovering, narrated what transpired and revealed that though Moshood insists it was a mistake, another friend, Ganiyu, told her he had said he would hurt her .
“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," she narrated to The Nation.
“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.
“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, wondered if her daughter's skin will ever heal and said she is not interested in pressing charges but needs the family of the boy to help financially as her daughter's treatment has cost her family so much and has affected her petty trade.
“His parents have been coming. They have extended solidarity but I think it shouldn’t just be by words of mouth. You can see that we are a struggling family. This unfortunate incident has cost us so much. There’s a drug we have been buying N1,200 per sachet to apply on her body.
“I expect that Moshood’s family would support us financially or pick the bills, since all the children there said he was told to not pour the content on my daughter but he went ahead to do it. So far, we haven’t heard anything from them. Yes, they paid the N16,000 we were charged at Edmark the night the incident happened. After that, they haven’t done anything again. If they are coming for settlement, the only settlement is for them to pay all expenses incurred.”
Menwhile, Moshood’s mother, Mrs. Ganiyat Yusuf, has expressed her sympathy for the family and described the incident as a mistake.
She said to The Nation: “It was just a mistake. In fact, Moshood also got burnt by the acid on his chest and leg. He didn’t know the content of the bottle and since they were jubilating, he poured it on her without knowing. It’s a regrettable mistake. But what we want is for peace to reign. We don’t want a situation where both families would start fighting over it or the two children becoming enemies.”
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