•Ita Bassey-Eno in critical condition
Ita Bassey-Eno in critical condition
An 11-year old girl, Ita Bassey-Eno, was allegedly set ablaze by her guardian, Nkese Iroakazi, a nurse at a hospital in Surulere. The victim has been rushed to the General Hospital, Gbagada where doctors are battling to save her life.
Mrs Iroakazi who resides at 7, Adeniran Ogunsanya Street, was said to have doused the girl with kerosene and lit a match stick to set her ablaze after allegedly stealing a piece of meat from the pot.According to sources, upon being set ablaze, Ita ran out of their apartment unto the main road crying for help from passers-by when someone quickly stopped his vehicle and put out the flame on her body using his fire extinguisher.


PM News reports:
The incident, which occurred last Saturday, was immediately reported at the Bode Thomas Police Station and the police from the station arrested Mrs. Nkese.
The little girl was rushed to the Burns and Trauma Centre, an annex of the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital at the General Hospital, Gbagada, for urgent attention as the doctors in the hospital said she had suffered 95 percent burns and would take a miracle for her to survive.
Bassey-Eno’s private part was damaged, while almost all her body is burnt. The whole of her body, except her face and her feet, are bandaged, while she wears pampers because her private part was damaged.
On her hospital bed on Monday when P.M.NEWS visited, the little was groaning in pains while health officials described Nkese as callous woman and that she must be made to face the music.
Executive Director, Esther Child Rights Foundation, ECRF, Mrs. Esther Ogwu, who was at the hospital to see the girl, wept when she saw her pathetic state, saying that in all her life as human rights activist, she had never come across such a gruesome case as that of  the little girl.
According to Ogwu, “the situation is terrible. The doctor said the girl suffered 95 percent burns and that her private part has been damaged. This woman is more than wicked. Justice must take its course.
“One of the health officials at the General Hospital, Gbagada called me and said a woman poured kerosene on the little girl staying with her and lit up a match stick and set her ablaze. The girl ran out of the house to the main road where a Good Samaritan used her car fire extinguisher to put out the fire.