In a shocking incident on Aribisala Street in the Igando area of Lagos, confusion struck residents on Thursday when a woman known as Fatima allegedly severed the tongue of her 18-year-old neighbor, Mitsura, during a dispute. The altercation reportedly escalated while both women were washing clothes on their shared premises, triggered by Fatima’s accusation that Mitsura had used her bucket without permission.

Witnesses say the argument quickly turned into a physical confrontation. According to the landlady, known as Mama Ibadan, she initially intervened to calm the two women down but had barely left when she was alerted by shouts from neighbors. Upon rushing back, she found Mitsura covered in blood after Fatima allegedly strangled her and bit off her tongue in the heat of the fight.

“She was bleeding heavily from the mouth,” recounted the landlady, visibly shaken by the incident. Mitsura, reportedly an orphan living with friends who were absent during the incident, was immediately rushed to a nearby private hospital. However, she faced rejections at three different facilities before finally being admitted to Igando General Hospital for treatment.

One neighbor, Funke, confirmed that Fatima’s husband was notified and accompanied her to the hospital. The young victim’s friends later went to the police station to formally report the attack.

Following the incident, Fatima allegedly attempted to escape but was restrained by local residents and handed over to the police for further action. When reached for comment, Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer Benjamin Hundeyin stated he had not yet received any official report on the case.