The 25 Year old Aladi Sule, Two months ago, was a pretty lady in her community, Idah, the headquarters of Idah Local Government Area of Kogi State. Her beauty was destroyed few weeks ago when the alleged ex-lover bathed her with acid and left her in agony. A visit to the hospital showed that Aladi knew her body had been ‘recreated’ by the acid. However, she did not know the degree of the attack.
She was yet to come to terms with the fact that her right ear and right eye had been damaged by the acid. Aladi, who struggle in pains to narrate the ugly incident, said was 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. It was 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. 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 packout, 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. Immediately 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”.
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.
