By Bose Adelaja

He was given N500 to  buy  two packets of noodles but the money went missing and all his pleas that the money was indeed missing fell on the deaf ears of his uncle, simply identified as Paul.  After a thorough beating, the uncle dragged him upstairs to continue his punishment. Moments later, the uncle ran downstairs in  a  bid to escape but neighbours, suspecting a foul play, held  him after which he was dragged upstairs. Lo and beyond, poor Friday was found lying in the pool of  his own blood with a pointed object stuck in  his head.

Nail-in-head-boy Friday Paul

Immediately, the scene turned rowdy and a mob descended on the uncle while the boy was rushed to Ikorodu General Hospital where he was referred to LASUTH. Meanwhile, the boy’s family could not afford the cost of the boy’s treatment at LASUTH. Subsequently, they were introduced to a private hospital, Saviour The Rock Hospital, Odogunyan, Ikorodu, where the object, said to be a three-inch nail, in the boy’s head  was successfully removed by a senior medical doctor, Adelana Odumabo.

Back in Uncle  Paul’s house, he was rescued from the mob and reportedly handed over to the police in Sagamu Road Division, Ikorodu. At the hospital, the family, Sunday Vanguard learnt, struggled to pay N40,000 out of the N70,000 initial deposit but the doctor  reportedly went the extra mile to discuss the situation with some of his church members who paid the balance of the boy’s entire hospital bills.

Last Thursday, the incident took  a twist when a senior  police officer from the Division (names withheld) claimed the matter was fiction and the suspect was released. Previously, some policemen from the Division were said to have stormed the hospital to threaten the authorities to step down the matter.

Friday was said to be under observation till that Thursday but immediately after the release of his uncle, the family allegedly went to the hospital, accompanied by some policemen, to forcefully discharge the boy against medical advice.

The matter has been generating comments from residents, social critics and sympathizers, many of whom have called on Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Fatai Owoseni, to investigate the matter and ensure justice.

The President, Lagos Child Protection Network, Ngozi Ekwerike-Okora, condemned the development, saying children’s  rights must be protected.

As at  yesterday, many neighbours insisted  the boy should not return to his uncle due to the fact that he had been severally abused, before the incident that saw Uncle Paul allegedly driving  nail into his  head. Three of the neighbours, Messers Kunle Toluwanile, Deji Okunronmu and Madam Mulikat Tijani, alleged that on  one of the occasions, the uncle tied the boy to a ceiling fan over an  alleged offence.  “Mr Paul usually protects his biological children but detests Friday for reasons best known to him. I remember the day he tied him to a ceiling fan and it took the intervention of neighbours to rescue the boy.  Honestly, the boy should not return to this uncle of his,” Toluwanile told  Sunday Vanguard.

Our reporter found scars of alleged child abuse all over Friday when she paid him a visit. He spoke in Pidgin English when he was interviewed by Sunday Vanguard. Excerpts:

Sunday Vanguard  – How are you my boy?

Friday –  Fine

Sunday Vanguard  – Wetin be your name?

Friday -Friday

Sunday Vanguard  – Which school you dey go ?

Friday  – I no go school

Sunday Vanguard  – Ha! Why you no go school ?

Friday- My uncle no send me

Sunday Vanguard – Wetin you go find for hospital ?

Friday – My uncle gave me N500 to buy two packets of noodles but the money lost and he used belt on me but Big daddy’ say make I no tell anybody because police go carry my uncle

Sunday Vanguard – How is  your health now?

Friday –My head dey pain me seriously but I no want police to carry my uncle. Big daddy say make I no tell anybody say my uncle beat me o, make police no carry am ….

Sunday Vanguard– Who is ‘’Big daddy” ?

Friday –  Big uncle..

When Lagos State Police Relations Officer ASP Olarinde Famous-Cole was contacted, he said the Police may seek the advice of a child abuse expert  on the matter but, as at Friday, the suspect was said to be walking freely in the neighborhood while Friday had been taken to an unknown destination.

Efforts to get the family’s  reaction proved abortive as none of them could be reached but Doctor Adelana claimed the family came in company of some policemen at about 8pm penultimate Friday to forcefully discharge the boy.