A 37-year-old man, Ziaulihak Zakari, popularly known as “Abuja,” has allegedly confessed to accepting ₦500,000 to carry out an acid attack on a woman in Lagos State, but claimed he mistakenly attacked the wrong person.
The victim, Olorunseunfunmi Awosogbon, sustained severe injuries to her head, chest, and hands during the incident, which occurred on October 25, 2025, in the Lakowe area of the state.
According to reports, Awosogbon had gone to provide a home spa service booked through her workplace at Lakowe Golf Gate near Utmost Care Hospital when the attack took place.
Investigators later discovered that she was allegedly not the intended target.
The victim’s employer, Olorunmaye Ifeoluwa, alleged that the attack was linked to a dispute involving a former romantic relationship between her and another suspect accused of masterminding the assault.
She explained that the relationship lasted only a few months and was characterised by repeated disagreements before it ended.
Zakari and a second suspect, Owolabi Daniel, have since been arraigned before a Magistrate Court in Ebute-Metta on charges bordering on conspiracy, threats to life, and causing grievous bodily harm.
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In a video reportedly obtained by journalists, Zakari allegedly admitted that he was recruited through a security guard to carry out the attack.
“There is a man named Daniel who contacted me through a security guard and told me he had a job. When he said he needed someone to pour acid on a person, I agreed,” he reportedly said.
The suspect further claimed he initially failed to execute the plan out of fear, but later carried out the attack after mistaking the victim for the intended target.
“I attacked the wrong person. The acid was provided by the man and the security guard. I was paid ₦500,000 and gave the security guard ₦50,000 for connecting me,” he allegedly stated while expressing regret over the incident.
According to the charge sheet, prosecutors alleged that the suspects conspired in October 2025 in Lakowe, Ibeju-Lekki, to commit offences including threats to life and causing bodily harm, contrary to the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.
The prosecution also alleged that Daniel threatened Ifeoluwa through WhatsApp messages, while Zakari was accused of unlawfully injuring Awosogbon by pouring a corrosive substance on her.
