Residents of Aribisala Street in the Igando area of Lagos State were thrown into confusion on Thursday after a woman identified simply as Fatima allegedly cut off the tongue of her neighbour, Mitsura.

PUNCH Metro learnt that the incident happened while the duo was doing laundry on the premises where they live.

Trouble was said to have started when Fatima who is in her early thirties allegedly accused Mitsura of using her bucket without taking permission from her.

This was said to have degenerated into an argument that eventually led to a fight between them.

During the fight, Fatima allegedly strangled Mitsura and bit off her protruded tongue in the process.

Speaking to our correspondent after the incident, on Thursday, the landlady who identified herself simply as Mama Ibadan, said she had earlier settled a fight between them.

She said, “They were both washing when neighbours called to inform me that they were fighting each other over the bucket. I quickly rushed down there to settle the fight and also appeal to both of them. It was after I had left that I heard people shouting that someone’s tongue had been cut off. It was when I got there that I saw Mitsura’s mouth soaked in blood. That was how I got to know that her tongue had been bitten off by Fatima.”

Mitsura who just turned 18 years was immediately rushed to the hospital for treatment. She was however said to have been rejected at three different private hospitals before she was later admitted at the Igando General Hospital.

“We immediately took her to a nearby hospital but she was rejected. This was the same with two other hospitals that we went to before we later took her to the general hospital. Fatima’s husband who was called and informed about what happened had also gone to the hospital,” a neighbour who gave her name as Funke told our correspondent.

Another neighbour, who preferred anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the incident, described the victim as an orphan, adding that she recently moved in to live with her friends, who rented an apartment in the building.

She said, “Mitsura had lost her parents. So due to accommodation challenges, she decided to move in with her female friends who rented an apartment here. The friends were not around when the incident happened. But when they heard what happened, they had to rush home quickly. After they took her to the hospital, they went to the police station to make a report.”

Our correspondent learnt that Fatima attempted to flee after committing the act but was restrained by some residents.

As of the time of filing this report, Fatima was being handed over to the police for prosecution.

When contacted, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, said he was not aware of the incident. “I am not aware,” he said.