Posted by By ADEOLA ADETUNJI, Abeokua on
If Mrs. Taiwo Adesina had any premonition that calamity was lurking around for her on Sunday August 17, 2008, she would probably have gone into hiding.
If Mrs. Taiwo Adesina had any premonition that calamity was lurking around for her on Sunday August 17, 2008, she would probably have gone into hiding.
But fate played a joke on her by not giving her any inkling and later that day her beautiful skin, which used to be a pride to her, was turned to an eyesore after her neighbour poured hot water on her.
A little quarrel between Mrs. Adesina and her neighbour, Mrs. Joke Akerele Olota, had left indelible marks on the back of the former.
Akerele-Olota, a 32-year-old mother of four, after bathing her neighbour with hot water, attributed her action to the devil 'through uncontrollable anger.'
The neighbour who is now standing trial at an Abeokuta Magistrate Court for assault occasioning harm, said that she did not intend to fight Mrs. Adesina 'but her daughter insulted and disrespected me.'
Narrating what led to her action, she said she had urged Mrs. Taiwo's 15-year-old daughter, Zainab to wait for her to get down from the stair case first 'but she did not only refuse, she also disrespected and insulted me.'
After this assault, Mrs. Olota claimed that Zainab ran into her mother's room and she ran after to beat her in the presence of her mother. 'The little quarrel immediately degenerated to exchange of works between Zainab's mother and I.'
The accused further told the court that what prompted her to pour hot water on her co-tenant was the devil. 'Please forgive me, it's the devil's handiwork. I would not have done this, but for the devil which pushed me into it.'
She claimed that Zainab's mother had been nice to her since providence brought them together in the building located in Abeokuta, the state capital.
Touched by her plea, Mrs. Adesina told the court that she was no longer interested in the case and also pleaded for forgiveness for her co-tenant.
Her words: 'I have forgiven her. She is my younger sister's mate. I thank God I am still alive today. Her father-in-law, who is the landlord, is good to me; likewise the husband.'
Meanwhile, Justice Modinat Sobogu who granted the accused bail for N50, 000 advised her to always be of good behaviour and refuse to be used again by the devil. She later adjourned the case to October 13, 2008.