Residents of Aribisala Street in the Igando area of Lagos State were thrown into confusion on Thursday after a woman identified simply as Fatima allegedly cut off the tongue of her neighbour, Mitsura.
The incident occurred while the two were doing laundry on the property where they reside, according to PUNCH Metro.
Fatima, who is in her early thirties, reportedly accused Mitsura of using her bucket without permission, which sparked the conflict.
This reportedly escalated into an argument that finally led to a fight between them.
Fatima allegedly bit off Mitsura’s protruding tongue and strangled her during the altercation.
Speaking after the incident, on Thursday, the landlady who identified herself simply as Mama Ibadan, said she had earlier settled a fight between them.
She said, “They were both washing when neighbours called to inform me that they were fighting each other over the bucket. I quickly rushed down there to settle the fight and also appeal to both of them. It was after I had left that I heard people shouting that someone’s tongue had been cut off. It was when I got there that I saw Mitsura’s mouth soaked in blood. That was how I got to know that her tongue had been bitten off by Fatima.”
Mitsura, who had just turned eighteen, was taken to the hospital right away to receive treatment. However, it was reported that she was turned away from three private hospitals before being admitted to Igando General Hospital.
“We immediately took her to a nearby hospital but she was rejected. This was the same with two other hospitals that we went to before we later took her to the general hospital. Fatima’s husband who was called and informed about what happened had also gone to the hospital,” a neighbour who gave her name as Funke told our correspondent.
Another neighbor, who wished to remain anonymous due to the delicate nature of the situation, called the victim an orphan and mentioned that she had just moved in with her friends, who had rented an apartment in the building.
She said, “Mitsura had lost her parents. So due to accommodation challenges, she decided to move in with her female friends who rented an apartment here. The friends were not around when the incident happened. But when they heard what happened, they had to rush home quickly. After they took her to the hospital, they went to the police station to make a report.”
Fatima attempted to flee after committing the act but was restrained by some residents.
As of the time of filing this report, Fatima was being handed over to the police for prosecution.
When contacted, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, said he was not aware of the incident. “I am not aware,” he said.
Published by Ejoh Caleb
