Woman puts girl’s hands in burning fire
Accuses her of stealing money, beads
Save my life, victim cries out to Gov Fashola
By CHRISTOPHER OJI
Thursday, January 22, 2009


Eight years old girl, Angela Chaba, whose two hands were put in a burning stove by her uncle’s wife, has made a passionate appeal to the Lagos State Governor Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola, to save her life.





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The little girl would also want the State Commissioner of Police (CP), Marvel Akpoyibo, to bring her assailant, Mrs. Gladys Jikalemu to justice.

The victim is currently on admission in Burns section of the Orthopedic Hospital, Igbobi, along Ikorodu road, Lagos.

Giving graphic account of what transpired between her and her guardian, Chaba said: “One day, my uncle’s wife accused me of stealing her money and beads, but I told her I was not responsible for the missing items.”

The victim, who claimed to be a native of Okpeka, in Edo State, explained that her pleas and denials fell on the deaf ears as , “she tied me to a table with a string and put my hands on the stove and threatened to set me ablaze. She later put my two hands on flame from the stove. I cried and cried as the fire was roasting my hands but she held me tight to the fire.”

“When I thought the torture was over, she placed my hands again in the burning stove, this time, longer than the first time. As I was about giving up, someone knocked on the door, to set me free.”

Chaba alleged that she was not taken to the hospital immediately till one of her aunties paid them a visit and raised alarm.

The girl, who described herself as helpless person, appealed to Fashola to come to her aid and for the State Commissioner of police to wade into the matter, by arresting the culprit and bringing her to book.

She said: “I need justice, please, that is what I want, give it to me.” Chaba’s mother, Franca Issac, told Daily Sun that immediately she received the sad news, she rushed to Lagos in November, 2008, and has since been staying in the hospital with her.

She said: “My daughter has been living in peace with me in the village till two years ago, when my brother requested that she should travel with him to Lagos. I did not see anything wrong in my daughter living with his uncle.”

Mrs Isaac said she was even shocked to discover that since two years her daughter had been living with them, she was not registered in any school.

Investigations by Daily Sun showed that the victim was brought to the hospital on November, 10, 2008.

A Medical Doctor, who spoke to Daily Sun on the condition of anonymity said: “One of her fingers was badly burnt. It has been amputated and a successful skin grafting surgery, which resulted in removing part of her flesh from the lap, to replace that on both hands, has been carried out.”

http://odili.net/news/source/2009/jan/22/510.html