Juliana Francis
Members of the Advocate for Children and Vulnerable Persons Network (ACVPN) have expressed displeasure over the attack on a mother and her three years old daughter in the Ikotun area of Lagos State.
The advocates, were not just angry over the recklessness and endangerment of lives by the owners of the dogs but were seething over the fact the owner of the dogs had given mother and child N5000 for almost being mauled to death.
According to the advocates, the money was not even enough to cover medical care for the mother and child, let alone the trauma.
The victim is a widow, who had gone to the compound to sweep. While heading to the place, she stopped over at school to pick up her three years old daughter and went to sweep as was her duty.
The dogs, which narrated had been barking since they came into the compound suddenly charged out of their cage and pounced on her mother and child.
While one attacked the widow, the other attempted to feast on her little child. The widow started screaming, calling for help.
But for the timely intervention of a neighbour in that building, the mother, and child may not have lived to tell the story.
Both victims have injuries all over their bodies.
The widow narrated thus: “It happened on the 22nd of March 2023. After I dropped my baby at school, I called my Boss Mrs. Yusuf Busari in the morning, she told me she was not around, and that she was going to call me soon.
“She later call me urgently to come and sweep that she was around. I was going to pick up my baby from school, so I went with her.
“When I got there, I called her, that I was around, and she came and opened the gate for me. I started my work, and the dogs were barking.
“The dogs later forced themselves out of the cage and attacked my daughter and I. One of the dogs was on me, and the other was on my daughter. I started crying for help. The woman was behind the net door, she didn’t come to rescue us.
“One of their neighbours, who heard my screaming came and used a shovel to hit the dog that was on my baby. While I struggled to hold the one attacking me on the neck. The neighbour was also attacked.
“The man used the shovel to send them back to the cage. I was now shouting for them to call a doctor. She called her husband Mr Yusuf, and he came and call their nurse to give us First Aid. The injection was half dose, not the complete dose. Mr Yusuf gave me N5000 and then went to drop us at my house.
“Later in the evening I went to church, and my pastor and other members noticed I wasn’t comfortable, I was in pain. They asked the reason why, and I told them. I showed them my injuries. They also asked what types of treatment I have received, I told them, I was given First Aid.
“They insisted I was supposed to visit the hospital for an Anti-rabies injection. We went to their home, but they were not available. We called the wife; she came and told us that the husband was in charge of everything. Her manner of approach was so bad.
“He came and after much argument and misconduct, he caused in the community, he agreed to take my daughter and I to the hospital and he said it with so much insult.”
Blessing Aderemi, a member of ACVPN, who is following up on the case, said of the owner of the dogs, Mr Yusuf: “He has not visited the survivors since the incident. He has started threatening the church members of the survivors’ church. He said that they should not go to the Police station, but directly to court, because if they go to the Police, he will start from where they stopped. The case has been incident at Igando Police Station (FSU). All parties involved has be invited, awaiting the due procedure. At this junction with the callous irresponsible behaviour the owner of the dogs and his wife displayed, justice must be served! It is on record that both dogs have not received the Anti-rabies injection. No evidence of license to own such dangerous dogs.”
The co-founder of ACVPN, Mr Ebenezer Omejalile, reacting to the incident, said: “This horrible breeding of lethal weapons as security guards as ruthless as Rottweiler Dog is tantamount to attempted murder. Igando Police Station should please do the needful because as far as we are concerned forgiveness is a terrible sin. This is our stand. We can recall the Anambra Primary School Pupil who was attacked and feasted on by Rottweiler Dogs two years ago. The child involved in this case was destined to be alive.”
Another advocate, Toyin Okanlawon: “The dogs are Rottweiler and Boerbel. Both dogs are listed as one of the most dangerous dogs with high PSI-Bite force.”
Members of ACVPN are already making moves to get justice for the mother and her child, especially to secure their lives via proper medical attention.
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