A fake lover bathes ex-girlfriend with acid in Lagos (photo)

A 25-year-old caterer, Rosemary Nnaife, who was
allegedly bathed with acid by her ex-lover in the
Lawanson, Surulere area of Lagos State, has
demanded the prosecution of the suspect, identified
only as Paul.
    The Delta State indigene, whose face had been
scarred by the acid, said since the incident, Paul
had yet to be prosecuted.
The victim explained that she had dated Paul for
four years before the relationship ended due to
abuse and violence.
She said she got into another relationship, which did
not go down well with the suspect, who
allegedly began sending threat messages to her and
her new boyfriend.
The threat allegedly culminated in an acid bath after
she was tricked out of her residence in the
Abaranje, Ikotun area of the state.
Nnaife said she was rushed to the Lagos University
Teaching Hospital, Surulere, by sympathisers, while
Paul was arrested by policemen from the Itire
division.
She said although the Directorate of Public
Prosecutions ordered that the suspect be tried at
the Lagos State High Court, the case was still
pending.
She said,
“I dated Paul for four years and I loved him. But the
problem was that he was always beating me. He
also embarrassed me in the public, so I ended the
relationship.
“I got another boyfriend and moved on with my life.
But Paul was angry and he attacked me. He got my
new boyfriend’s number and threatened him. He
also threatened me. But I didn’t take the threats
seriously.
“Some days later, an unknown number called me
and when I picked it, it was a woman. She said she
wanted me to bake cakes for her and I should come
down to Surulere. We agreed to meet at Lawanson
bus stop.
“When I got to the bus stop, somebody touched my
shoulder from behind. When I turned around, I saw
Paul. He then poured the acid on me and ran away.”
She added that the matter was reported to the police
at the Itire division, and later transferred to the
State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence
Department, Yaba.
PUNCH Metro learnt that the suspect was arraigned
by the police at the Ebute-Meta Chief Magistrate’s
Court, where he was admitted to bail.
However, the case was said to have stalled.
Nnaife called for justice, saying she wanted the
suspect to pay damages and bear the cost of a
plastic surgery.
“He has been walking free, while I have been
scarred for life. I want him to pay for this. I need the
help of the government and the good people of
Nigeria,” she added.
The Director of the Lagos State Public Advice
Centre, Mrs. Tola Akinsanya, said the agency would
revive the case to ensure there was diligent
prosecution of the suspect. She said,
“The woman was allegedly bathed with acid by her
ex-boyfriend on June 3, 2015, and he was arrested
and taken to a magistrate’s court. When the DPP’s
advice was released, it ordered that the case should
be transferred to the high court.
“Although we are aware the case has been filed, it
has yet to be assigned to any court since last year.
We are working with the Lagos State Office of the
Public Defender to assemble a team of lawyers to
represent her. We must ensure that she gets
justice.”
Akinsanya explained that the agency would also
make effort to get support from the state ministry of
health for a plastic surgery for Nnaife.