I was almost stoned to death in Kaduna, female journalist narrates ordeal

A news editor with the Voice of Nigeria (VON), Temitope Mustapha, has recounted how she was almost stoned to death during last month’s religious crisis in Kaduna State.

In a lengthy post shared on her Facebook page yesterday, the journalist narrated how she fell into coma under a hail of stones and other missiles from rampaging youths on October 21.

The communal violence started in Kasuwan Magani area of Kaduna and claimed at least 55 lives. Following the violence and threat to spread to Kaduna metropolis, the state government imposed a 24-hour curfew on both areas.

Mustapha said she was on her way to Kano for a media event when the vehicle she was traveling in was stopped by heavy traffic and attacked. She said the young men who stopped them attacked only her because she was the only female in the vehicle. She also noted that her dressing might have aggravated their anger, as she was not fully covered.

“Suddenly, a number of the young men sighted me in the car and my driver started pleading with them, telling them ‘Da Allah ki ya kuri’. The young men best described as miscreants were more than 15, they started hitting the side of the car I was. I summoned courage opened the right side door which was already confronted by men holding all manner of irons and stones and started running,” she stated.

She said the men threw stones and metallic objects at her until she fell into a drainage and became unconscious. She also said the men only left her there because they thought she was dead.

Mustapha said the men who stoned her traced her to the hospital where she was taken for treatment and demanded her release to them, insisting she must be killed.

“The miscreants traced me to the hospital and demanded that the lady brought in should be released by the hospital to be killed. This hospital saved me and hid me away from them. I realised I was kept in a ward locked with a nurse who was given instructions not to open the ward to anyone she possibly didn’t know the voice. Only the Hospital Manager, the doctor on duty and two nurses were given access to where I was,” she stated.

She was finally revived with the support of the hospital, colleagues, Nigeria Army, and the Kaduna State government. Mustapha thanked the management of the hospital, staff and management of VON, Kaduna State Government and everyone who stood by her.