A female spa worker in the Lekki Phase 1 area of Lagos State, Olorunseunfunmi Awosogbon, is receiving medical treatment after she was reportedly attacked with a corrosive substance suspected to be acid in an incident linked to a dispute involving her employer.

It was gathered from interviews and court documents that Awosogbon, popularly known as Ajoke, had been assigned to a client who booked a home massage session on October 25, 2025.

The appointment was scheduled for Lakowe Golf Gate, near Utmost Care Hospital, Lakowe, where the incident occurred.

She was said to have arrived at the location in a ride-hailing vehicle when a man, identified in court filings as 37-year-old Ziaulihak Zakari, allegedly approached and poured the substance on her.

According to court documents and the spa owner, Olorunmaye Ifeoluwa, the suspect was allegedly engaged by a 25-year-old man, Owolabi Daniel, following the breakdown of a personal relationship between Ifeoluwa and Daniel.

Recounting events leading up to the incident, Ifeoluwa said she met Daniel earlier in 2025 when he booked a massage session at her spa.

“He requested that I attend to him personally. After that, he kept in touch and expressed interest in a relationship,” she said.

She explained that the relationship lasted a few months and was marked by disagreements.

“I later told him I needed space and that the relationship would not work. He continued to reach out, but I made it clear I did not want to continue,” she added.

According to her, she subsequently began receiving threatening messages from unknown numbers.

“The messages contained threats to my life. I reported the matter, but the numbers could not be traced at the time,” she said.

She also noted that suspicious home-service bookings had been made shortly before the attack.

“On one occasion, a client stopped responding after my staff arrived at the location. A similar booking came in later for the same area,” she said.

Describing the day of the incident, Ifeoluwa said, “Awosogbon called me in distress, saying a substance had been poured on her and that it was suspected to be acid. I immediately arranged for her to be taken to the hospital.”

Awosogbon was initially treated at a medical facility in Lekki before being transferred to another hospital in Ikeja for specialist care.

“The sender indicated that the attack was not the end and that I was still being targeted. ‘I’m going to kill you soon. You deserve to be in a grave,’ among others,” she said.

She added that a private investigation later linked the messages to a known individual, after which the matter was reported to the police and an arrest made.

Undated charge sheets filed at a Magistrate Court in Ebute-Metta indicate that Zakari and Daniel are facing counts including conspiracy, alleged threats to life, and causing bodily harm.

One of the counts states that the defendants “conspired to commit a felony” under the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015. Another alleges that Daniel sent threatening electronic messages, while a third states that the victim sustained injuries after a chemical substance was poured on her.

Efforts to speak directly with Awosogbon were unsuccessful as she was said to be undergoing medical procedures.

However, Ifeoluwa expressed concern over her safety, noting that Daniel had been granted bail.

“I am worried about my safety and that of my staff,” she said.

The victim’s lawyer, John Olobayo, criticised the handling of the case, arguing that the charges did not reflect the severity of the allegations.

“Based on the available information, we believe more serious charges should be considered,” he said, adding that petitions had been submitted to relevant authorities, including the Ministry of Justice.

When contacted, the father of one of the suspects, Mr Owolabi, declined to comment in detail and referred enquiries to his lawyer.

“Everything we did was through the lawyer,” he said, adding that he had contributed financially to the victim’s treatment.

Responding to questions about an alleged N60m payment for the victim’s surgery, he said in Yoruba, “Everything we have done was through the lawyer. I sold my house to pay the money. I don’t know what more is expected of us.”

Also contacted, the family’s lawyer, Omole Muritala, declined to comment on the substance of the case, insisting he would only respond if the source of his client’s contact was disclosed.

When informed that journalistic ethics do not permit disclosure of sources, he declined further comment. (The PUNCH)

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