By Acheli Fwa
Four years after surviving a brutal acid attack in Adamawa State, no suspect has been arrested, leaving a young woman, Miss Eve Usman Kwala, trapped in a cycle of pain, trauma and financial ruin.
Miss Kwala, a resident of New Nigeria in Yola South Local Government Area, said the attack which damaged her ear, chest and breast has left her struggling physically and emotionally.
Speaking with journalists, she recounted the night that changed her life on 10 December 2021, around 8 p.m., at Ribadu Square, Yola.
“I went to eat at my stepmother’s place. As I was leaving, I saw a 406 car pass and recognised it as my neighbour’s,” she said. “I called him because I was afraid of Shila boys. They stopped and picked me. One of the men asked me to sit in front.”
While the group navigated a traffic jam, she felt something hot splash onto her hand.
“I screamed, and immediately the people in the other car poured more acid. All five of us in the vehicle were affected,” she said.
They were rushed to the Specialist Hospital, Yola, where doctors removed one of her breasts and part of her ear due to severe burns.
‘I lost everything’
Miss Kwala said she did not receive adequate care at the Specialist Hospital.
“My family took me to a private hospital, Bamaiyi. They spent everything they had. That was where they discovered my backbone was out of position and the bone in my chest too,” she recalled.
“Blood was rushing out of my ear. I needed plastic surgery, but we had no money.”
She later sought help at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Yola. A radio station aired her story, which caught the attention of former lawmaker Abdulaziz Nyako, who funded her plastic surgery at the Teaching Hospital in Gombe.
“I stayed two months in the hospital. The surgery was successful, but I still can’t move my neck properly. My ear still releases blood and fluid every day, especially in crowded places like markets or church,” she said.
“I’ve been using cotton on my ear since 2021.”
Police investigation stalled
Miss Kwala said neighbours reported the attack to the police immediately after it happened.
“They asked me a few questions and promised to investigate,” she said.
Years passed with no update until her images resurfaced on social media, sparking public outrage and renewed calls for justice.
“The human rights community took interest, and the police revisited my case. But no one has been arrested to date.”
The Police Public Relations Officer in Adamawa, SP Suleiman Yahaya Nguroje, confirmed the slow progress.
“The command is working tirelessly to ensure the perpetrators are arrested and made to face the law,” he said. “We call on members of the public to provide any useful information.”
‘I need help to survive’
Miss Kwala pleaded for public assistance to cover medical bills and daily survival.
“My ear still needs surgery. I cannot do hard work. Sometimes I can’t even feed. This incident has caused me deep trauma, and only God can heal the wound in my heart.”
