OUTRAGE: Nigerians berate man, 67, for chopping off 11-yr-old boy’s hand for alleged theft of fish

Joy Anyim

When the peaceful community of Mebamu, located at Mechanic Bus stop, off Okokomaiko, Lagos, woke up on Friday, June 7, 2019, little did they know that an incident that would put the name of their community in the media for the negative reason would befall them.

Most children in the area had almost a week long holiday following the Eld-El-Fitri on Tuesday and Wednesday, Thursday and Friday was also declared as holidays by schools in the area to mark the compulsory mid-term break for students.

While some children took to the streets to play football and other games, 11-year-old Amechi Goodluck and his friends chose to go fishing, in the swampy part of Mebamu.

The Basic five pupil of Gladness Nursery and Primary School, had left his home at No. 6, Ajanaku Street, for Isah Ibrahim Street, to fish with his friends.

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Wearing a pair of shorts and a T-shirt, Goodluck and his friends arrived the area  about 8:30am, with hooks, ropes and a bag they hoped to put their catches in.

The swampy part of Isah Ibrahim was demarcated with fences constructed by house owners in the area, one of whom was 67-year-old Jeremiah Obifor.

Obifor, an engineer and indigene of Delta State, owned a fish pond in his compound, close to his fence.

Investigations by The Nigerian Xpress revealed that a hole had been made in Obifor’s fence through which boys in the area when fishing in the swampy part of the area, sometimes passed their hooks through the hole to catch some fish from the man’s pond.

Obifor had repeatedly complained about the stealing of his fish and had looked forward to a day of vengeance.

Goodluck and his friends had passed their hook through the hole in the fence to catch some fish, Obifor, who saw the hands while feeding his fishes, immediately picked a sharp machete by his side and hit one of the hands.

The affected hand was that of Goodluck, who was trying to pull his hook that had caught a big fish. Obifor had cut off the boy’s right hand from the wrist.

Goodluck’s friends ran away, leaving him in pain, as his hand bled profusely. The boy was screaming for help and managed to walk out of the swamp into the street where he was rescued.

Residents react

According to a resident, who claimed to be one of the many that came to the rescue of the bleeding boy, they thought a ritualist had cut off his hand.

Giving his name simply as Victor, the eyewitness said: “When I and some others saw the boy, crying and shouting for help, we thought a ritualist had invaded the community and cut off the boy’s hand. It was when we asked him, who had done such to him, that he told us it was Obifor that cut his hand when he was fishing behind his house.

“We immediately rushed into Obifor’s compound but he was nowhere in sight. We had to knock his door and order him to come out. When he came out, we asked him what had happened and why he chopped-off the boy’s hand, he denied it. We went to the back of his house; saw the blood stain around the fence, and that convinced us it was someone from the house that did it.

“We asked the boy again and he insisted it was the man, as he saw his face while he was working around the back of his house. Goodluck’s friends also came back to the scene with some of their neighbours. His friends confirmed same. It was at this point that we dragged Obifor out and asked him for the last time and he said he did it and that it was a mistake.

“People were. enraged by his action. Young men in the area wanted to attack him. They destroyed the windows of his house and even threatened to burn the house down. It was a mobile policeman, who lives in the area that saved the situation. He immediately called the Okokomaiko Police Division, who responded swiftly.”

In his own explanation, Ezeugu Joseph, who condemned the act by the man said: “It is like the children noticed fish usually come out with water from the hole; that was why they went there. Even if the children had trespassed, nobody takes law into his hands. What if the boy had died, what would he have gained?”

On whether the hole in the fence was made by the boys, a neighbour, who lives with Goodluck maintained it was Obifor that made the hole for waste water to pass out of his compound to the swamp.

The neighbour, who refused to give his name, also spoke on the personality of the 11-year-old saying, “Goodluck is a good child. He has been with his father and his elder brother since his mother died three years ago. Although there is no child that does not have his or her weakness, Goodluck was overall a good boy. The man, who cut-off his hand was just being wicked.

“How can an old man like that do such a thing? He just rendered that boy useless. If he gets well, he cannot wash or do anything by himself. His right hand is gone for life. The man should rot in jail.”

Community head speaks

Baale of Mebamu, Chief Mosiu Adio, who claimed to have known Obifor for over 30 years, said the incident was rather unfortunate.

The Baale said he had also conducted private investigation into the incident to know what actually happened.

According to him, “I sent my boys to verify what happened when the incident happened on Friday. The boys are from Afromedia and not Mebamu. They came from their area to Mebamu to carry out the act. According to the information from the man’s tenants, the man has a fish pond at the back of his compound.

“They said the boys broke a part of the fence from the back, from where they pass their hook to steal the man’s fish. They have been doing it for long. The boys had already caught a fish with their hook and a hand was pulling it through the hole in the fence. When the man saw the hand, he cut the hand with his machete.

“The boys have been doing this for long. The man is an engineer and he sometimes travels for two or three weeks for his job. Whenever he returns, the fishes reduce. Actually, everybody is saying Obifor’s action was too harsh, but I guess he did not know it was an 11-year-old boy. He thought the person was an adult.”

While giving his opinion on the matter, the Baale said, “The matter is both sides. Nothing justifies the boy’s action. The boy is at fault. He was caught in the act. The man’s action was also harsh. I will advise that both families meet and go for an out of court settlement. What has happened has happened. If they were adults, they would have been treated as armed robbers, but it is because they are underage.”

Adio further stated that reports that had reached him had it that young boys from  Afromedia area are notorious, He added: “Young boys from that area the boys came from are corrupt.”

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An aide to the community leader, who chose to speak in anonymity, revealed that he heard the boys planning the act days before they went there.

He said, “I live around the area where the boys live. I was sitting just behind their compound on Wednesday before the incident when I overheard a group of boys, saying they would go fishing at a compound. I did not take it seriously until when I heard of this incident.

“Surprisingly, my brother’s son was among them. He had even confided in us that they actually go to steal the man’s fish, but we just asked him to be quiet about the information. Those boys from Ajakaye and Ajanaku area are something else. They steal at will.”

Medical practitioners talk on treatment options.

Medical practitioners have also reacted to the incident. A consultant psychiatrist at the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital, Dr. Egunranti Benjamin, said the matter called for everyone to learn to manage their temper.

Benjamin in his contribution said: “The 61-year-old man has anger problem. One should be able to control his anger. Even if it is a basket of fish, he has drastically limited the function of the boy, especially with the kind of job he can do.

“He cannot join the military or paramilitary. It will be also be difficult to be a doctor. If the parents are rich, he can be useful later in life. Although I don’t know how long he has been stealing and I am not saying it is good for an 11-year-old to steal, but the man took law into his own hands.

“First is the fact that the hand cannot be attached again but he can get prosthetics done by an orthopedic surgeon, which is cosmetic. Ability to move it is not possible. He will have no wrist or fingers.”

Similarly, a Lagos-based medical doctor, who gave his name simply as Mayowa, Said: “I read the story of the 11-year-old boy some days ago. His case could be classified as a case of a complete traumatic amputation of the right hand. The treatment options available for him basically is to prevent bleeding, stop him from getting into shock and prevent the remaining parts from getting infected. In preventing the other parts from getting infected, a wound debridement would be done at the wound sites, take care of the surrounding tissues and do proper wound dressings. We then place the boy on antibiotics and anti-inflammatory drugs in order to prevent a wound breakdown and prevent the remaining parts getting infected.

“The tendency of the remaining parts getting infected depends on how well he’s being managed. Finally, after he’s fully recovered, for cosmetics purposes, if his parents are buoyant enough, they could get him prosthetics, which would serve as a hand.”

 

From the legal perspective

A senior police officer, whose name cannot be mentioned for obvious reason, said Obifor could be charged for attempted murder.

The law enforcement officer said: “What Obifor did is a grievous bodily harm. He contravened Section 245 of the Law of Lagos 2015 and upon conviction will be sentenced to seven years in prison. It is immaterial whether what he boy did was unlawful. The man has no power under the law to cut-off the boy’s hand.

“It is jungle justice. No matter the situation, you don’t take law into your hands. If he sees the boy has committed a crime, he should have reported to the police. A minor is not criminally liable. The man could even be charged for attempted murder. What he did to the boy is permanent disability. The offence is felonious in nature. It is now a case between him and the Commissioner of Police.”

A legal practitioner, Mr. Awoseye Collins, condemned the act. “There is no justification for that action. It is condemnable and barbaric. He should be charged for assault, occasional harm and attempted murder. That is jungle justice. He should be charged to court for his condemnable action,” he insisted.

 

Father calls for justice

Father of the victim, Mr. Amechi, said his son had told him he wanted to become an electrical engineer when he grows up. But for his present disability that dream may not see the light of the day.

Speaking with the correspondent, Amechi, who could not hide his pain, said Goodluck is still recuperating at the Igando General Hospital.

He disclosed that the boy had on Tuesday afternoon, gone through the first phase of surgery, where flesh from other part of his body was cut and used in covering the hand

Amechi, who is a petty trader, said his son was still in pain and has not stopped crying and shouting since after the surgery.

“The boy has been crying, even with the pain reliever he was given. I really hope he gets through with this. The doctors said the cut touched the bone. This is a not how we planned our life. He told me he wanted to be an electrical engineer and I was working so hard to make his dream come through only for this to happen.

“I had even gone out for business the day this incident happened. I was called by neighbours and informed of the development. This is permanent disability. The boy is half-dead with this. I want justice and the man has to make sure the boy’s dream come through,” he insisted.

Amechi also told the correspondent that the family of the suspect had not showed up since the incident happened.

 

Suspect’s relative speaks

A relative of the suspect, who insisted his name must not be mentioned, said the family was still in shock.

The source said although Obifor had been complaining to them about the stealing of his fish, the act was unjustifiable. He said Obifor reacted out of anger.

Meanwhhile,  The Nigerian Xpress gathered that the police had on Friday last week, charged Obifor to an Ebute Meta Chief Magistrate Court where he is facing a four-count charge, bordering on attempted murder,  grievous bodily harm and unlawful assault, to which he pleaded not guilty.

The Chief Magistrate, Mrs. A.O. Komolafe,  admitted the suspect to bail in the sum of N1 million with two sureties in like sum.

Komolafe said the sureties should be gainfully employed, and should be blood relations of the defendant.

She added that the sureties should provide evidence of three years tax payment to the Lagos State Government. The case was, however, adjourned until July 31.