'I believe say I still fit see wit my eye' - 12-year-old girl wey lose one eye to teargas

Di family of 12-year-old school girl Aminat Alege wey lost one eye sake of teargas cannister wey police allegedly fire for her for eye don share dia tori wit BBC Pidgin.

Mama of di young girl, Halimah Alege wit tears for her eyes tok say goment abandon her little girl afta police of Dopemu division for Lagos allegedly turn her to one eye pikin.

Aminat Alege na JSS3 student of Adam Yakub Memorial High School for Agege area of Lagos State.

On Friday 9 February, 2024, Aminat bin go school like evri oda pikin for her neighbourhood.

Afta closing she bin try observe Jumat prayers as na normal practice for Muslim students to pray for school on Fridays.

Aminat bin try use di mosque nearby afta she learn say no water for her to use for ablution for her school.

Na dat same mosque beside her school her mama dey usually observe her Jumat prayers too and on most Fridays Aminat dey follow her mama and younger ones back home once prayer don ova.

Aminat know say di one incident wey go change her life forever dey around di corner.

Nearby, riot wey involve two schools for di area don already start - inter-school fight na common tin for di area.

Witnesses for di area tok say some students bin go di nearby police station to report di mata and Divisional Police Officer bin deploy four policemen to di scene.

Di gbege bin happun wen police begin shoot teargas canisters anyhow, dem tok.

“Wen I reach outside my school, I bin see police and hear pipo dey shout ‘police, police’, I den hide beside one car as police dey near my side.

"As I say make I run enta di mosque to escape di riot, teargas canister wey police fire den hit my eye," Aminat tok.

Aminat say she remember say one policeman bin rush to pick her up and take her to di station afta she fall.

“Dem leave me for station for some time bifor dem take me to hospital," Aminat explain.

She say bifor dem take am to di hospital, di policeman bin take time change her uniform.

By di time dem go carry Aminat go hospital, tori don reach her mama side and she rush meet dem.

“I bin dey my shop jeje when one boy for area run come tell me say somtin don happun to Aminah, na so I run go wia dem say my pikin dey”.

"I bin confuse afta dem tell me say my pikin don dey for trouble, dis na sake of say Aminat na veri gentle pikin wey focus for her education, she no dey keep bad company and she sabi book wella.

“Di first hospital bin reject us, we later go anoda one for Ile-Epo area, dose ones also refer us to di Lagos State Teaching Hospital," Aminat mama tok.

She add say police oga for di Dopemu division bin give am N50,000 but abandon dem and no eva show face again since di incident.

For di hospital, Aminat bin undergo surgery on her right eye wey don seriously damage sake of di effect of di teargas canister.

Di family don spend more dan one N1,500,000 ($1,206) and dem still go spend plenti more, according to Aminat mama.

One surgery done, two more still dey remain according to wetin Aminat family tok say doctors tell dem.

Mudashiru Alege, Aminat papa bin lose im job for 2023, e no fit hold back im tears as e narrate di kind pikin wey Aminat be for dia family.

E say apart from say Aminat na im first born, di pikin na veri brilliant student wey always make am get hope say her future dey veri bright.

“Now wit dis incident wetin go happun to my daughter future, I bin get beta plan for her and her younger ones.

“Even though dem discharge her for hospital for February, treatment of di damaged eye no stop, we dey go hospital regularly for further treatment, e tok.

We never receive any help from goment

Alhaja Mariam Alege wey be di tok-tok pesin for di Alege family tok say di important tin to do now na make goment give Aminat di proper treatment wey she deserve.

She say despite one meeting between di family and some members of di state House of Assembly, dem still neva hear any feedback.

Alhaja Mariam Alege add say di future of di girl child dey important and Aminat no suppose dey denied di chance to achieve her dreams sake of dis incident.

She urge authorities to take quick action so dem go fit stop any further damage to Aminat second eye wey sometimes dey cause sleepless night for di young girl.

Despite di order of free treatment wey gomet give authorities for Lasuth, Aminat mama tok say she later begin pay for drugs as di process to get free drugs for di hospital no dey easy at all.

'No be teargas canister blind Aminat eye' - Police

Di Lagos state Commissioner of Police Fayoade Adegoke tok say no be teargas canister blind Aminat eye.

Oga Fayoade tok for one exclusive interview wit TVC News. E tok say na true say police fire teargas canister to chase students wey dey riot but dem no fire am for Aminat eye.

“I tink di effect of di teargas wey we all dey aware of say dey cause pain for eyes fit don cause make Aminat fall down on top sharp object.

"I believe say di sharp object fit don cause di blindness, becos di medical report dey veri clear say na blunt object cause di blindness," Oga Fayoade add.

However, LASUTH chief medical director, Professor Adetokunbo Fabamwo, tok say dem no know wia police get dia report from.

Video by Mobolaji Olatunde