Trader bathed with acid while asleep

Sherifat, before being bathed with the substance

For about five months, the Agbaje family of Ifako, Gbagada, Lagos State, has been battling to find an explanation to the tragedy that has befallen it.

The family members said while they were seeking a solution to the tragedy, they had sought the aid of the Ogun State Police Command to unravel the circumstances surrounding their challenge.

The mother of the house, Mrs. Sherrifat Agbaje was attacked with acid while she was sleeping on her bed on April 23, 2013.

Sherifat, a fish seller, said she was in a rented apartment in the Ifo area of Ogun State and was fast asleep when an unknown assailant crept up to her window in the middle of the night and bathed her with acid.

The mother of six is currently in pains as her face, chest and arms were severely burned in the attack. She, however, miraculously escaped being blinded.

Her five-year-old daughter, Kehinde, who was sleeping beside her, was also lucky as she escaped with a few burns to her back and arms.

Sherifat told PUNCH Metro that it had been her practice for three years to travel to Ifo. Ogun State, every Monday to sell fish and return home to her husband at Ifako, Lagos, on Saturdays.

Sherifat said, “There was nothing unusual about that day. Like any typical day, I went to the market to sell fish. I didn’t sell much  because there was a free-for-all among the area boys. It disrupted our business.

“My eldest daughter, Omowunmi, was, however, able to make more sales by hawking the fish around the market area. Three of my children were with me then.”

At the end of the day, Sherifat went back to her apartment in Ifo and watched the TV with her children until 12am.

She said Kehinde and her twin, Taiwo, had persuaded her to let them sleep in her bed, but she insisted that they must sleep on the floor.

It was learnt that the room had six windows, which were made with wood. All the windows were closed on that night except one. It faced Sherifat’s bed.

She said, “I had slept for about 30 minutes when I felt something hot on my body. Initially, I thought it was fire and I started screaming.

“My screams woke up Omowunmi. She took one look at my body and started shouting that somebody had poured something on me. That was when it dawned on me that my house was not on fire.

“In the process of trying to shake off whatever had been poured on me, some drops of the acid poured on Kehinde, who had come back to sleep beside me.”

 Sherifat’s neighours came out to find out what the problem was. They also searched the neighbourhood, but no one was caught in connection with the incident

In the morning, the case was reported at the Ifo Police Station. Till date, the mystery had yet to be unraveled by the police.

Her husband, Tunde, told PUNCH Metro that he was alerted to the incident the same day at 3am.

He said, “It was Omowunmi who called me.  At dawn, I set out for Ifo and met my wife at a catholic hospital where she had been taken to. The hospital said the burns were serious and transferred her to the General Hospital, Sango.

“It has been tough for us ever since. I dig boreholes for a living and without my wife’s support, taking care of our six children has been difficult. I do not know what would have made someone attack my wife with acid. To the best of my knowledge, she has no problem with anyone to warrant any attack.

“Now, my children’s education is on hold. They can no longer attend school. All our finances are geared towards restoring my wife to normalcy.”

He said some doctors at the general hospital had advised that Sherifat would require some surgery in India to repair the damage to her body. He added, “But I don’t have money.”

The Ogun State Police Relations  Officer, DSP Muyiwa Adejobi, confirmed the incident to our correspondent on the telephone.

He said a suspect had been identified and was wanted in connection with the attack. He however did not give the identity of the suspect.

He said, “The case is under investigation and efforts are being made to apprehend him. The Commissioner of Police, Ikemefuna Okoye, has directed that the suspect should be declared wanted if he fails to turn up.”

PUNCH