A 45-year-old grandmother, Mrs Zule Inusa, has said suspected ritualists have defiled her three-month-old grandchild in Adogi, Lafia Local Government Area of Nasarawa State.
She said the ritualists cut off part of the child’s private parts and dumped her in an uncompleted building in the area.
Inusa, who spoke to PUNCH Metro on behalf of her daughter on Tuesday, appealed to Governor Abdullahi Sule, security agencies and other stakeholders to come to the aid of the family by arresting the culprits so that justice could be served.
The grandmother, who could not control her emotions, said she was sleeping around 2am on May 27, 2020, when her daughter came knocking on her door and screamed that her baby was missing.
She explained that the family left the door to their room open owing to excessive heat in the area.
The incident forced members of the community to troop out in search of the baby and later found her on the ground with blood gushing out of her private parts.
She explained that the child was found by villagers in an uncompleted building about seven kilometres away from their residence.
Inusa, who said she was traumatised by the incident, told our correspondent that the family sold some items to raise N130,000 for the treatment of the baby at the Dalhatu Araf Specialist Hospital, Lafia.
She added that sympathisers also contributed N243,000, which was given to the hospital before doctors could commence treatment.
She said a day after the incident, a family member reported the case at the Adogi Police Station, but there was no police personnel on duty.
Inusa stated that when the victim was found around 3am, she was rushed to a private hospital in Adogi, but the medical personnel there could not handle the case.
She explained that from the private hospital, she was referred to the DASH, where she was also referred to the Jos University Teaching Hospital, where she is currently receiving treatment.
“The incident occurred on Wednesday, May 27, 2020, when suddenly I woke up around 3am and discovered that my baby was missing. I checked my phone, which I kept by my bedside, and discovered that it was also missing,” the victim’s mother stated.