LAGOS—Doctors at a private hospital in Odogunyan, Ikorodu, Lagos, are battling to save the life of an orphan, Friday Paul, whose uncle/guardian drove a three-inch nail into his head for stealing N500.

The eight-year-old Friday lives with his uncle and his immediate family in a room apartment at 6, Anjolarin Street, Odogunyan, Ikorodu, after the death of his (Friday) parents about two years ago. Friday’s uncle, one Mr. Paul, it was gathered, allegedly accused his nephew of stealing the money he kept in his room, weekend, but the eight-year-old boy denied the act, which infuriated his uncle.

Mr. Paul was said to have dragged the boy into an apartment and tortured him. Not done with that, he was said to have driven a three inches nail into the boy’s skull. Friday’s distress call was said to have attracted neighbours, who rushed to the scene, but Paul was said to have abandoned the boy and fled.

It was learned that sympathisers caught up with him and handed him over to the Police at Sagamu Road Division, while the victim was rushed to Ikorodu General Hospital. A resident told Vanguard that the hospital rejected the boy over lack of funds, but sympathisers had to rush the boy to The Saviour the Rock Hospital, Odonla Road, Odogunyan, where doctors are battling to save his life. The resident, who pleaded anonymity, said if not for the quick arrival of the Police, the said uncle would have been lynched.

At press time, Friday wreathes in pains after the nail was successfully removed yesterday afternoon. Paul’s neighbour, Mr. Edwin Abah, claimed Friday had been facing persecution from his uncle, which climaxed in the weekend nail-in-the-skull incident. Friday, who dropped out of primary school after his parents’ death, urgently requires about N100,000 for a surgery.

Vanguardngr