TRACKING> A new generation bank worker, who simply identified herself as Dorothy A., was allegedly attacked with a hammer and smothered with a pillow in Calabar, Cross River State, by his next-door neighbour, Patrick Bassey. Though still shaken and incoherent, she tells ADA WODU how she cheated death after the attack and insists her attacker must be brought to justice
Pictures of you with a bloodied face were all over the Internet and many people were afraid for your life, what happened?
Things have been missing in the compound before now. Sometimes by the time we went to work and returned home, someone would have stolen our refrigerator, laptops and other items. Even on December 31, 2019 (New Year’s Eve), we went to church for the countdown to the New Year and by the time we got home, they had broken into our room and stolen our generator. We didn’t know who the thief was. Everyone in the house would just come out and shout in the compound and that is all. So on Sunday, January 5, 2020, I went to work early in the morning and was supposed to go to church with my sister by 10am. But I got home late. And we had some family friends we could join up with but I told them to go ahead, that I would not be able to go anymore since I was not yet there. I went home and had some rest. So while I was in the house, I saw somebody trying to break into our home around 10 am. So I sent a text message to my sister, saying, “Please, start coming back home. Tell our family friends to start coming back fast. Somebody is trying to break into the house.” And when the person came into the house, I realised it was my next-door neighbour. It was a shock. When he saw me, he said, “I will kill you today. I will kill you today.” I started screaming because every other person in the compound had gone to church. I knew if I screamed, people passing by or in the next compound would hear me. I didn’t know that a guy was around washing clothes in the compound. He heard me, and heard when the neighbour hit me in the head but he did not know where the noise was coming from.
I didn’t know what happened after he attacked me as I passed out. I learnt that the guy later scaled the fence and fled. I don’t understand how he escaped. Even after he escaped, he was till calling me on the phone and asking if I was still alive or not. He said if I was still alive, he would come back for me. Even a female police inspector who called him, he threatened that to kill her. He has been threatening me, saying all sorts of things.
Have you reported the matter to the police?
Yes, since the day the incident occurred. According to my sister, they came and took pictures. I was already in the hospital at the time. They took the weapon and the pillow he tried to use to kill me. My sister even called a police inspector at Akim Police Station but the man did not pick up. I don’t know if they want us to give them money or something like that because I don’t understand why they are not doing anything about it. Before I was attacked, we found out that the guy had been terrorising the whole place. He was also terrorising us. And we even went as far as getting him arrested and taken to Airport Police Station. Somebody went there and secured his bail.
The police told us that the person who secured his bail signed an undertaking that our neighbour would not harm us in any way. But now that he is threatening to kill me, where is the person who secured his bail? The police at Akim Police Station are not doing anything about it. He is the one roaming about the town; meanwhile, I am the one hiding.
What are you doing now to protect yourself?
My brother came and moved all my things out. I am not in Calabar as I speak to you. I am still undergoing treatment. I’ve had to have stitches. My face is messed up.
Doctors say Dorothy needs facial surgery – Sister
Sister to Dorothy A., who was allegedly attacked with a hammer by her neighbour, only identified herself as Chinyere. She tells ADA WODU that the police have not taken the attempt on her sister’s life seriously
How are you related to Dorothy?
Dorothy is my sister. She already has a headache. Please, we need justice because this guy is still moving around. He is threatening people, saying he would kill anyone helping us. I don’t understand the kind of justice system we have in Nigeria. The case was reported to the police and I was calling the officer in charge of the case to know how far he had gone with it, but probably because I had not put N500,000 on the table for them, no one is doing anything about it.
They are not doing anything about it because my dad is not a politician. That is why common Nigerians cannot get justice. And the guy (suspect) keeps making calls. I have evidence of all the phone calls he made when he said he would come back. And he has a phone number that is working. Can’t they track him? Something is not right somewhere. My sister’s face is broken and cannot be shifted. The doctors are even talking the need for her to have a reconstructive surgery. It is really terrible.
What is the next step you want to take?
I need to keep her safe at the moment. That is the most important thing. I have done my part as a Nigerian citizen by talking to the media. I have gone to lay a complaint at the police station. Do they prefer if people opt for justice jungle?
Are you saying the police have been unable to locate where he is hiding?
No. But we have his phone line that is working. Is it not possible for them to track him? That was attempted murder.
What did the landlord do after the incident?
He followed me to the police station and I have not heard from him since then. He called me twice from the hospital to know how my sister was doing. That guy owes the landlord rent but he cannot kick him out of the house. The guy is a cult member and he is threatening to kill us. Even when we reported the matter to the police, they said it was just a verbal war, that he had not done anything yet.
Did your sister have anything to do with the guy?
She didn’t. She didn’t even have time. She would go to work early in the morning and come back in the evening. I just came to visit her and all this happened. From the beginning to the end of the street, you will not hear any good thing about the man (suspect). He beats people up. They are scared of him. Now, he is threatening the landlord and his brother that anyone should tamper with his belongings, he would return, burn the house and kill everybody there.
And no one is helping me to get justice. The police need to intervene and catch him. If they can catch someone that steals somebody’s phone in minutes, why can’t they catch someone that attempted to take the life of an innocent young Nigerian lady?
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