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24.11.2021 Justice INTERVIEW: How I Was Stabbed Multiple Times for Seeking Justice — #EndSARS Protester

Published 24th Nov, 2021

By Yakubu Mohammed

Since the Nigerian Army sprayed bullets at young persons protesting against police brutality and bad governance at the Lekki Tollgate in Lagos, Kamsi Ibeh and many others have been seeking justice for the victims.

The October 20 incident had unravelled before Ibeh’s eyes and she had attended the Lagos State Judicial Panel on Restitution for Victims of SARS Related Abuses and Other Matters, to give testimonies.

The panel would later submit a 309-page report to Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the Governor of Lagos State, admitting that soldiers shot live ammunition at the armless protesters with the intention to kill them.

While returning home on Sunday November 21, Ibeh was stabbed multiple times by unknown armed men who identified her as one of those who appeared before the panel, and vowed to send her to heaven to seek justice.

The #EndSARS protester shared her horrible experience in an interview with FIJ.

What happened on Sunday night

A cut on Kamsi’s left thigh

Ibeh: I went to play tennis in the evening on Sunday. We finished around 9 pm. I was coming from training where I went to play tennis at Crown Estate, Sangotedo. There was no vehicle at the Crown Estate bus stop, so I was walking down towards the Shoprite at Sangotedo to get a bus.

On my way, I saw three guys walking ahead of me. I didn’t know they had any motive. People were going with them and I was on my lane. I  would walk a while and stop to flag down any vehicle going my way.

And that particular axis at that time, if you know the place very well, it is always quiet even in the daytime. So, while I walking, these three guys came. One of them flashed a light on my face, the other one turned to this side. I was still scared trying to understand if they wanted to rob me. I didn’t have any money. What I had was just my phone and transport fare. 

One said, “Na she be dis na.” So they started beating me. When they were beating me, they were saying: “shebi una dey agitate for justice. If we kill you, you go see the justice.

I instantly denied it, pretending not to know what was going on. I told them I didn’t know what they were talking about. I said I was am not the person.

What they attacked her with

A cut on Kamsi’s left buttocks

The more I talked, the more they would beat me. They were hitting planks all over my body, punching me. They brought out a cutlass, tearing my body like they were cutting meat. So, I was screaming for help. In the process when I was screaming for help, two guys from afar (I guessed they helped me because they noticed what was going on) were running in that direction. I was screaming “my hand, my blood”. So those guys rushed in and the guys ran away.

They were like “what is going on?” I shouted, “I’m dying”, asking them to take me home. They asked if I had any of my relatives’ numbers. I said at least I remembered my friend’s number. They called her, because I didn’t even know where my phone was.

She rushed in immediately and I pleaded that they should take me home because as I stayed there, these guys might come back again. The other guys assisted her to put me inside a vehicle that took us home.

On getting home, I was losing blood. I didn’t know who to call, I couldn’t find my phone. I was searching and crying. My friend was able to use the little spirit and cotton wool we had at home to press the wound to stop the blood.

The cry for help

So she started scattering my bag, that was when she saw my phone. But at that period, who would I call? If I called my brother he would say ‘it was late, wait till morning”.

That moment, immediately, I called my Lawyer, Barrister Ogunlana. I called Dabira [another protester], she did not pick. I called Proficience. These are the people who are in this struggle with me. I called Lawyer Adesina Adesanya; he did not answer immediately.

Proficience answered later and I told him I was dying. So when he heard my voice, he switched to video call. The moment he saw it, he was screaming. When I explained to him, he said I should go to the hospital. I told him I was afraid for my life and I didn’t have money and I didn’t know which hospital to go to. He said I should hold on, I should give him a second.

While I was waiting, Barrister Ogunlana called. This was around past 5 in the morning. He was talking; he said he couldn’t hear me, so I asked him if I could switch it to a video call. He said I could go ahead. When he saw it, he was screaming. He said, “Now, this minute, go to any hospital close to you.”

Cut so deep the doctor screamed

A cut on her hand

Then Dabira called. He ended the call, I called Dabira again and she was screamed “Jesus Christ!” She advised me not to go to any hospital. She said I should go to the hospital that we used to secure medical help for #EndSARS protesters. So I told my friend to assist me. I took an Uber to the hospital.

Getting to the hospital, the doctor screamed. The cut was deep because my skin was shrinking and swollen. So the doctor said he needed to stitch it immediately. Before he did that, he had to take pictures of everything. After the stitch, he administered drugs and injections. 

After some hours, Dabira arrived, the doctor explained to her and said she could take me out. He said I should not go home for now since I was the only one staying there. She also said it was not safe to go back to the house now until everything has died down.

A description of her attackers

They are slim, they are not chubby. They are not bad-looking. Even that night when they were coming, they didn’t look harmful. They look okay like normal guys on the street. If not I would run to one side or to where I was coming from.

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Published 24th Nov, 2021

By Yakubu Mohammed

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