TheCable

Three children sustained serious injuries on Tuesday, following an unexpected attack by a monkey in Illado, a community in the Ikorodu area of Lagos state.

The police confirmed the incident, saying Funmilayo Gbadegeshin and two siblings (Roda and Emmanuel Alombo), the children involved, are currently receiving treatment at a private hospital in the area.

Witnesses said the monkey is owned by one Daniel, popularly referred to as ‘Iya Ibeji’, also a resident of Illado.

One of the residents, Babatunde Oyesola, said that the monkey left the owner’s house and went into the Gbadegeshin’s home to attack Funmilayo, who had then just returned from school.

He added that after the she was rescued and rushed to a nearby hospital, the monkey moved to the house of Alombo to attack Roda and Emmanuel.

Oyesola said that on hearing the shout of the girl, neighbours felt she was being scolded by her older sister.

“The incident happened at about 4.30 p.m. when the children had just returned from school,” he said.

“I heard Funmilayo shout and cry, so, I felt her sister was beating her for something she did, but when the cry did not stop, I decided to check what was happening myself.

“When I got there, I saw blood all over the place and saw a monkey jumping out from the window but because of what I saw, I had to save the girl first.

“We noticed that the vein on her right hand has been cut off and the blood was seriously rushing out of it.”

Oyesola added that while Funmilayo was being attended to at the hospital, the other children who were also victims were rushed in.

Another witness who pleaded anonymity said the monkey had been attacking people in the area and that necessary precautions had not been taken by the owner.

Mojeed, Funmilayo’s father, said he was at his place of work when he learnt that the monkey had attacked his daughter.

“When I got to the hospital, I met a crowd and I was asked to go inside and see the state the monkey left my daughter,” he said.

“Afterwards the owner of the monkey came without uttering a word of sympathy and she only left with the monkey.”

Gbadegeshin said that some people in the neighbourhood documented the incident at the Igbogbo barracks police division and that the owner of the monkey has been arrested.

Kenneth Nwosu, the Lagos state police command’s spokesman, confirmed the arrest, saying both the animal and its owner were already in custody.

“One of the children was badly injured and the other two were mildly injured but they are currently being treated,” he said.

“Also, necessary precautions will be taken to check such attacks by animals reared by people in communities.

“Necessary tests will be carried out on the children to ensure that the monkey is a healthy animal and that the children are free from any form of disease.”