A woman named Fatima has been arrested for allegedly biting off the tongue of her 18-year-old neighbour, Mitsura, in the Igando area of Lagos State.
The incident occurred on Aribisala Street on Thursday, 31 October, while both individuals were doing laundry in the compound where they live.
According to reports from Punch, the conflict began when Fatima, who is in her early thirties, accused Mitsura of using her bucket without permission. This accusation escalated into a heated argument, ultimately leading to a physical altercation. During the struggle, Fatima allegedly strangled Mitsura and bit off a portion of her protruded tongue.
The landlady, identified as Mama Ibadan, stated that she had previously intervened in a dispute between the two women. She explained, ““They were both washing when neighbours called to inform me that they were fighting each other over the bucket. I quickly rushed down there to settle the fight and also appeal to both of them. It was after I had left that I heard people shouting that someone’s tongue had been cut off. It was when I got there that I saw Mitsura’s mouth soaked in blood. That was how I got to know that her tongue had been bitten off by Fatima.”
Mitsura was immediately taken to a hospital for treatment but was reportedly turned away by three private hospitals before being admitted to Igando General Hospital.
A neighbour named Funke elaborated, “We immediately took her to a nearby hospital but she was rejected. This was the same with two other hospitals that we went to before we later took her to the general hospital. Fatima’s husband who was called and informed about what happened had also gone to the hospital.”
Another neighbour, who wished to remain anonymous due to the sensitive nature of the incident, described Mitsura as an orphan who had recently moved in with friends renting an apartment in the building.
“Mitsura had lost her parents. So due to accommodation challenges, she decided to move in with her female friends who rented an apartment here. The friends were not around when the incident happened. But when they heard what happened, they had to rush home quickly. After they took her to the hospital, they went to the police station to make a report,” the neighbour said.
Following the incident, Fatima reportedly attempted to flee but was restrained by local residents and handed over to the police for prosecution.
