Photo of the acid victim
Franca Ogbu gained admission in 2010, to study Economics at the Federal University of Technology, Yola, Adamawa State, now known as Modibbo Adama University of Technology.
It won’t be an exaggeration or understatement, if one says the family rolled out drums to celebrate her admission into the university, a feat that made other families in the community in Obi Local Government Area of Benue State, green with envy.
In fact, the parents’ joy knew no bounds, even as they toiled day and night, farming and engaging in petty trading, to raise some money to make their first, beautiful daughter’s dream, which is to have university education, come true.
But unfortunately, as she secured the much awaited admission, fate had packaged surprise, fatal gift for her, literarily delivered to her by a desperate, violent lover boy. And that is the genesis of her woes. According to information, when the prime suspect, (names withheld), a final year Civil Engineering student, saw the ‘fresher’, he was entrapped by her beauty. He quickly went to woo her before other intending students could beat him to it.
But the girl told him off, reminding him that her primary assignment in the university was to study come out in flying colours and not to have boyfriends. “The girl is part a one student, she gained admission into the university in 2010. When the boy saw her, he told her that he would like to be her boyfriend, but she refused. The boy became angry and threatened to deal with her. She was reading one night, when he came there poured raw acid on her and ran away,” Chief Morgan Okwoche, told Daily Sun on phone.
Undoubtedly, the acid attack has changed her world for the worst, as she had been in critical condition at the hospital for the past one year. But the suspect had been walking freely in the Streets. Franca’s condition is so serious that it even attracted the sympathy of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).
“You can imagine, her case touched the ASUU members such, that they even started to levying themselves to help the girl. You can imagine the lecturers, contributing money to help the girl,” Okwoche said.
The Zonal Coordinator of ASUU, Dr Usman Abubakar, disclosed how the suspect hired one of his friends, whose name was simply given as Nelson, to carry out the dastardly act. “On that early morning, at about 1.15 a.m. Franca was reading in the Mechanical Engineering block of the institution, when someone, who stood in front of her, called her name, and when she raised her face, he poured the concentrated acid on her,” Dr Abubakar said.
Till date, Franca is still lying in pains, in the surgical ward of the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital.
Daily Sun also gathered that report of the investigating panel, set up by the university indicted Chibuzor. Indeed, the report said it was he, who sponsored the acid attack on the victim for turning down his overture.
After the incident, the suspect was dismissed from the university and subsequently, charged to court.
As part of its resolution, reached at the end of its meeting, held at the University of Ibadan (UI) Oyo State, on Sunday, September 11, 2011, the National Executive Council (NEC) of ASUU, condemned in strong terms, the barbaric attack on Franca. The resolution says in parts: “NEC condemned in strong terms, the pouring of acid on a part one, Economics student of Federal University of Technology, Yola, Miss Franca Ogbu, by a fellow male student.
NEC considered this brutal act a typical man’s inhumanity to a fellow human being. NEC further resolved to monitor closely, the prosecution procedure of the culprit and demands that the police handle the matter with the utmost transparency and forthrightness required.” ASUU also appealed to all well-meaning and sympathetic Nigerians, philanthropic and civil society organisations, First Ladies, NGOs, women organisations, parents, teachers and students, to contribute generously to a fund launched to save Franca, described by the union as “one of us.”
Another thing bothering the union and Franca’s parents is how to restore the badly damaged face, through 13 plastic surgeries as recommended by the doctors.
And most of the critical surgeries would be carried out abroad and they are expected to gulp a whopping sum of N12 million. Already, Bauchi zone of ASUU has launched a campaign aimed at raising part, if not all the targeted amount. Another source of worry for her parents, Daily Sun gathered, is that the mastermind of the evil act was released by the police, with the help of some members of his church while the girl is writhing in pains.
Police had set the suspect free on the grounds that he had been charged to court. But there are doubts about whether the police actually charged the suspect to court.
Another dilemma is that her parents have no money to pay lawyers to pursue the case to its logical end until justice is done. ASUU, again reinforced its earlier appeal to members of the public to help the victim to get justice and for her face to be restored. The concentrated acid damaged the victim’s nose, hairs, mouth, eyes, among others.
Daily Sun learnt that the authorities of University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital waived the medical expenses incurred by the victim, from the 11 surgeries on her and other medications. The hospital did not stop at that, it is also making contacts with doctors outside the shore of Nigeria for other surgeries and to see if there could be discount.
Meanwhile, Okwoche has appealed to the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Hafiz Ringim, to ensure that the suspect is brought to justice, to act as deterrent to others. Good spirited Nigerians, corporate bodies, governments/officials, among others, have been requested to assist the victim, by donating generously to the bank account opened by ASUU. It is Fidelity bank, UNIMAID branch, the account name FRANCA’S TREATMENT, while the account number is 6051446636.
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