Samson Folarin

Doctors at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital , Ikeja , are battling to save the life of a civil servant in the state , identified only as Mistura, after she was allegedly attacked by her maid in the Ejigbo area .

PUNCH Metro learnt that Mistura had been in a coma since Monday , March 5 , 2018, when she was attacked with blended pepper and a wine bottle by the maid, identified as Susan Samson .

Our correspondent was told that despite a three – hour surgery on Wednesday , the victim had yet to come round and was in the intensive care unit of LASUTH .

It was learnt that Mistura, who taught in a public secondary school in Lagos , had employed Samson on February 4 , 2018 to assist her with domestic chores .

The 18- year – old suspect was reported to have stolen her boss ’ money last Friday and Saturday .

After the stolen money was recovered from Samson ’ s bag , Mistura was said to have alerted the agent who brought her .

The Ogoja , Cross River State indigene , in a desperate bid to escape from the house , which Mistura had locked , allegedly poured blended pepper on the boss while she lay on the bed .

She then grabbed a champagne bottle and smashed it on the victim ’ s head repeatedly until she passed out .

The suspect was reportedly apprehended by residents who heard the victim ’ s scream for help .

PUNCH Metro was told that the suspect was handed over to policemen from the Ejigbo division.

The victim ’ s husband, who identified himself only as Alhaji Sikiru , said he had gone to work when the incident happened .

He said , “ An agent brought her to my wife on February 4 , 2018 . The girl said although she was from Ogoja, Cross River State , she had her primary and secondary education in Ikorodu , Lagos State, where she had lived the better part of her life .

“ I had gone to work around 6 am on Monday when my wife was attacked . But when I was called , I went to make a statement at the Ejigbo Police Station where the girl was being detained . That was where she told me everything that happened .

“ She said last Friday, my wife accused her of stealing some money . Again on Saturday , there was an allegation she stole another money. I was surprised because my wife did not tell me that the maid she employed was stealing her things.

“ After I left the house on Monday , my wife asked her to buy balm for her down the street . While she was away , my wife went to her room and found the stolen money in her bag , including some other items which she (Samson ) stole from her shop .

“ My wife called the agent that brought her and asked him to come over to the house . The agent immediately called the girl to know what happened . The girl said she didn’ t know why she (Mistura ) called him .

“ At this time , she had become suspicious . So , when she got back to the house , she went to her bag and discovered that the stolen money and other items had been recovered by my wife . ”

He said Mistura , while awaiting the agent , locked up the two gates in the house and kept the keys .

She was said to have lain on the bed.
“ When the girl saw that her secret was about to be exposed , she wanted to escape. On discovering that the pedestrian and drive gates had been locked , she became desperate .

“ She went to the kitchen, took a bowl of blended pepper , and poured it on my wife on the bed. My wife could not see again , but she groped to the main gate. She started calling for help because she could not also open the gate .

“ The girl went inside the house and found a bottle of champagne , which I had kept for an occasion . She smashed it on my wife ’ s head five times. And she collapsed .

“ Some residents , who had gathered outside the gate after hearing my wife ’ s call for help , caught her as she tried to escape. They also found my wife in a pool of blood and rushed her to a hospital , ” he added .

He noted that during a visit of the police to the house , they found more stolen items in the suspect’ s room.

Alhaji Sikiru , while expressing fear over the condition of his wife , said he hoped she would make it out alive .

“ She lost a lot of blood and I had to get six pints of blood yesterday (Tuesday).

Because her blood level was low, the doctors gave her four pints so she could go through a surgery which started from 1 am and ended around 4 . 30 am on Wednesday. The surgery didn’ t bring out anything . She is still in a coma .

“ My wife is in the intensive care unit of LASUTH . Her brain has collapsed and has been removed from the body and kept somewhere . Her kidney is already packing up . I hope she makes it out alive , ” he added .

A source told PUNCH Metro that the couple had a disagreement late 2017 over the issue of getting a maid as the husband was against the idea .

The source said the dispute was so intense that some relatives had to wade in.

“ The woman has high blood pressure and her personal doctor told the husband in January that the woman’ s BP was still high but she said she would be better if he allowed her to have a maid. That was when the man succumbed . But see what it has caused , ” she said .

The state Police Public Relations Officer , SP Chike Oti , said it was a case of attempted murder.

He said , “ The said Susan Samson suspected that her boss had discovered some items she stole and hid in her room. She subsequently mixed a large quantity of pepper in water and poured it on the woman’ s face to render her defenceless .

“ She subsequently hit her head repeatedly with a big bottle of wine which grievously harmed the woman. The state Commissioner of Police , Edgal Imohimi , has decried this act wickedness and ordered a thorough investigation and diligent prosecution of the case . ”

The Chief Medical Director of LASUTH , Professor Wale Oke , said the victim was receiving treatment at the hospital .

He said , “ She had a surgery yesterday , which was successful . She is, however, not out of the woods yet . She is still in a coma . We have to wait for the brain to heal from the injuries. ”

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