By Chioma Okezie-Okeh
A 62-year-old grandmother in Lagos State identified as Mrs Helen Olukosi is now a guest of the Kirikiri Custodian Centre after fighting with her neighbour, one Sarafina Uwa.
The elderly woman was arrested and detained at Moshalashi Police Division in Lagos after 33-year-old Sarafina reported her to the police with bruises all over her body. She had alleged that Mrs Olukosi, who is also a tenant at No. 2 Ogo Oluwa Street, Iyana Ipaja area of Lagos beats her up at any slightest provocation. Unfortunately, the latest clash left Sarafina with several life threatening wounds.
More trouble
Days after her arrest, she was charged to the Ogba Magistrate Court by the police. In court and waiting to be arraigned, Mrs Olukosi was said to have quickly gone out to urinate close to the route through which the magistrate was to walk into the court. Unknown to her, she was spotted almost half naked urinating. And the magistrate, who never knew that she was a suspect in a case at the court, ordered that she should be arrested and arraigned for misconduct.
She was initially arraigned for the crime that brought her to court where she pleaded not guilty to the charges. She was granted bail and remanded at Kirikiri Custodial Centre when she failed to meet up with her bail conditions. The matter was adjourned till April 29.
Minutes later, she was called upon again to face the charge of misconduct within the court premises.
I was attacked first
Insisting that the injuries she sustained was during a fight, Mrs Olukosi, while at the police station, alleged that it was her accuser who started the fight.
Hear her: “My daughter is a tailor and this woman happens to be one of her customers. I was in the house when she brought some clothes for my daughter to sew. They agreed that she would pay N3000. The cloth was ready and my daughter asked me to collect the money. I did but she refused to give me the money. It was on the third day that I went to ask for the money. She grabbed my neck and I had to defend myself. She felt that since I am not a young woman, that it would be easy for her to harass me. I fought back and both of us sustained injuries.”
She narrated that the matter ended up with the police and I was asked to take her to the hospital since her own wounds were more severe. “We agreed and I gave her N7, 000. I stopped talking to her in that compound because the policemen warned me seriously. I was in my house relaxing when I heard people shouting. I held myself back when I heard her voice but when I learnt that she was shouting my name; I decided to find out what happened.”
“She was telling everyone that I placed a curse on her children and that her prayer was that my children would die. I warned her not to mention the name of my children again and she slapped me. We started fighting again. She threw me on the floor but I was able to fight back. I am 62 but with the strength of a youth. People later separated us and she went to report the matter at one human rights office and the police arrested me.”
She is evil
On her part, Sarafina Uwa alleged that she had no choice but to speak out when she realised that Madam Helen had placed a curse on her children.
Uwa said: “She is also a tenant but very wicked. All the people that she laid curses upon in the open are either sick or dead. This time around, he told my husband that she would harm my children. I warned her to stop and prayed against it in the open. She raises her hand at any slightest provocation and I have reported many times to the police and they would only ask me to bring money for investigation.”
“On the day of the fight, I came out very early to arrange my wares in my shop when someone grabbed me on the neck. I was terrified and started begging for my life. It was when I heard her voice that I knew that she was the one.”
Uwa revealed that her neighbour beat her up mercilessly, threatening to bury her and her children alive. She noted that she summoned courage and went to Esther Foundation, which was when they finally arrested her. “I am even scared for my life as people have warned me to pack out of that house so that she won’t destroy me and my family. Where will I run to? It is not easy to get accommodation in Nigeria in this economy, she stated.
A human rights activist and founder of Esther Child Rights Foundation, Mrs Esther Ekwem Ogwu, who intervened in the matter, commended the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Moshalashi Division for the professional way he handled the entire matter.
Her words: They did a good job and refused to compromise. Initially, the woman was bullied into deciding that the matter should be settled out of court, but the DPO refused. This woman has, in the past, been dragged to our office by several persons over cases of assault. Anyone who is in similar situation should learn to speak. Some of the murder cases in this country can be avoided if the victim had voiced out when the signs were obvious. We have so many human rights organisations in this country that can tackle this matter free of charge.