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| Bilikisu Muraina on hospital bed |
As if that was not too heavy a load at her age, Bilikisu, now 15 years old and a Junior Secondary School student in Ede, woke up like every other person on Thursday, 1st May, 2014 unaware that life has another bitter pill waiting for her to swallow. On the fateful day, she headed straight to the farm as it was usual of her during holidays. She planned to seize the advantage of the public holiday to get mangoes at her grandfather’s farm to sell in order to get money for the upkeep of the family.
Continue reading after the cut....
Saturday Sun gathered that on her way back from the farm, Bilikisu met a middle aged man who allegedly raped and butchered her. She was dumped in the bush by her assailant while residents of the hitherto peaceful community set up a search team when she didn’t return home the same day.Two days later, the teenager was eventually found last Saturday when she was taken to a private hospital in Ede from where she was referred to the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH) Teaching Hospital, Osogbo where she is currently receiving medical treatment at the Accident and Emergency Unit of the hospital.
As a result of her critical condition, the management of the teaching hospital has given a concession to the victim which allows the hospital to commence treating her pending when the family would be able to pay her bill. It was gathered that the victim may spend more than three months in the hospital considering the degree of injuries she sustained.
When Saturday Sun visited the victim at the hospital where she is still receiving treatment, maggots were seen coming out of almost all the parts of her body. This, the medical team treating her said was caused as a result of the delay she suffered before she was taken to the hospital, having spent two days inside the bush with all manne of insects and reptiles biting her in different parts of her body. The condition, the medical experts said, would improve with time as she
takes her prescriptions regularly.
However, Biliskisu, who managed to speak with our correspondent on her hospital bed with the aid of her mother who also joined her at the hospital to take care of her from Lagos where she had relocated to, after remarrying following the death of her husband six years ago, explained that she had initially declined attempts to be raped, hence the machete cuts she suffered from the man, stressing that she went through hell for two days before she was rescued.
Narrating her ordeal further, Bulikisu said: “As I was coming from the farm early in the morning with a basket of mangoes on my head, I noticed that a man was behind me and later the man, who could not be less than 35 years old, challenged me to give her a mango and I obliged. Later he said that I should remove my trousers that he wanted to make love to me and I started running. He later ran after me and beat me.”
According to her: “I could not conquer the man as he used all his strength to force me and he beat me with a machete. Every part of my body was macheted and after about 30 minutes, he took me into another bush and left me there. I didn’t know where I was until I was taken to the hospital here where I discovered that maggots were coming out of my body including nose, eyes and ears. I don’t know how I can live well again.”
Buttressing Bilikisu’s statements, her cousin, Rukayat Muraina, who found her inside the bush, explained that “Bilikisu was found inside a bush along Abere road, Ede after rigorous search for her. She told us she was going to farm but she did not return throughout the day and no one could sleep in the family as a result of that. The following day we started looking for her and later found her in the bush where she was already traumatized, battered and beaten. She lay down dejectedly and we later took her to Rombay hospital from where she was referred to LAUTECH Teaching Hospital here in Osogbo.”
She confirmed that from the investigations made by the family, Bilikisu was accosted on her way from the farm by a man who asked for a mango and later asked her to remove her trousers, adding that the matter had been reported to the Police who are already on the trail of the man.
She also hinted that Bilikisu had told some family members that she could recognize the man if she sees him, having regained her consciousness. She explained that the family members have resolved to commit the man who attacked their daughter to God for divine judgment which she said it’s weightier than man’s judgment, stressing that the man whose identity was still unknown would not know peace for the rest of his life.
Also, the mother of the victim, Mrs Abebi Muraina, who sells food in Lagos with her new husband, said though the matter had been reported at the Ede Police division, the government should wade into the matter to ensure that her daughter was not punished in vain, adding that the family needs money for the medical bill of the victim. She, therefore, appealed to the state government and notable non-governmental organisations in the country to come to the assistance of the family.
She also called on the security agencies, especially the Police, to expedite action in finding the suspect, stressing that such a person should not be allowed to live in the midst of people.
The Chairman, Medical Advisory Committee (CMAC) of the teaching hospital, Dr Benjamin Eegunranti, who also spoke on the matter, assured that the victim would survive the attack with the attention given to her by medical professionals at the hospital, stressing that three different categories of medical professionals including neuron-surgeons, plastic surgeons and orthopaedic surgeons are working on the victim.
He said the victim survived fractures on the brain bone and will need huge amount of money for surgery to be carried out on her, adding, however, that the management of the hospital had already given her a temporary waiver considering her condition and the financial strength of her family.
Eegunranti, who maintained that the hospital has necessary facilities to take care of the girl stressed that the treatment would continue until she is confirmed medically fit, saying that “the victim is responding well to treatment and very soon there will be notable improvement on her. Her condition would not have been that bad if not because she was discovered late.”
He added that there are signs to show that the victim was clinically stable, pointing out that medical examinations conducted on her have shown that she has good chances of surviving the attack despite her young age.
The state Police Command also said that it was already aware of the incident, as the grandfather of the victim had reported the matter at the “B” division, Ede shortly after the body of Bilikisu was discovered by the family.
The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) for the state, Mrs Folashade Odoro said the command has commenced investigations on the matter and would ensure that justice was done on the matter in no distant time.
With the speed the pathetic story of Bilikisu is spreading, it was learnt that the wife of Osun State Governor, Mrs. Sherifat Aregbesola and the state Ministry of Women Affairs had sent representatives to her on behalf of the state government. While commenting on the ugly incident through her Senior Special Assistant on Media, Mr Rotimi Ajayi, Mrs Aregbesola said: “The act was barbaric, crude and violently wicked.”
Ajayi said the first lady had directed officials of the state Ministries of Women Affairs and Health to ensure that the victim is given proper medical attention, saying: “She is hoping that law enforcement agents would track down the culprit.”
He added that “part of the goals of the present administration in the state was to rid the state of undesirable behaviours such as this. This is the reason for the new orientation programme encapsulated in the omoluabi ethos.”
-SaturdaySun
.....very pathetic story.
Sher your thoughts....thanks!
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