I read this extremely shocking story and became so enraged. Every
blogger worth their salt should have this story on their blog and the
cry for justice for this helpless woman should never stop until it is
served to her attacker fast and hot! Make sure you read and share.
Please read on…
Workers in a Lagos based packaging and printing company, Toppan Packaging Company Limited located on Ladipo Oluwole in Ikeja Industrial Estate could not believe what they witnessed on Friday the 13th December 2013. When the shift manager, a Lebanese; Kaveh Noine beat up the Cleaning Unit Supervisor Mrs. Alice Ossai in
their presence, due to what he deemed negligence on her part, his
grouse, a portion of the factory is littered with dirt and she failed in
her responsibility to rein in her team to keep the factory floor spick
and span.
Frantic efforts by Ossai to explain why the portion of the factory
was littered with dirt, even after she was assaulted was rebuffed by
Noine who shouted her down and asked her to come with him to his office
fuming with rage; exasperated staff members on duty went in with Ossai
in a bid to collectively explain the supposed duty breach. Noine rained
blows on Ossai and kicking her repeatedly, without sparing her tummy
even though she was seven months pregnant. Like many Nigerians working
under similar conditions, took everything calmly even though she
complained to her close friends that she was in deep pain put up a bold
face and continued with her duty, bearing the shame and physical assault
in her stride all in a bid to secure her job and that of two of her
siblings who also works in the company.
However; when the news of her assault reached her two siblings; they
made an attempt to retaliate on her behalf, Ossai dissuaded them from
physically roughing up Noine, begging them to consider the financial
burden they bear with the twelve thousand naira month salary paid each
of them, as any attempt to confront Noine will eventually lead to their
collective loss of income, a situation they cannot cope with giving the
fact that they have an aged sick mother to take care off as well as
other regular and emerging bills to pay.
Pregnant Ossai was helped home by some of her co-workers and her
siblings that day; she resumed work the next day a Saturday 14th
December even as the pain continued intermittently, even in pains and
being pregnant, she carried out her supervisory cleaning assignments in
order to save the family income. On Sunday she rested at home being a
work free day even as the pain increased. She resumed on Monday but the
pain had increased considerably and she could not carry out her cleaning
supervisory assignments, at a point she leaned on the mop stick and
clutched her stomach.
By 10 pm on Monday she noticed patches of blood on her underwear, the
flow progressed steadily and rapidly into clots of blood dripping out
of her. Family members had to rush her to Glorious Mercy Hospital close
to her house where a Caesarean Section was carried out on Ossai, the
Medical Director said that Ossai prognosis revealed that the Placenta
progressively detached from the walls of Ossai’s Uterus, thereby Oxygen
and other vital nutrients were denied her Foetus; in the days after the
assault, hence the need to evacuate and save Ossai’s life.
Efforts by Ossai family members to arrest Noine yielded no result as
he was said to have travelled to Canada on official assignment; but
National Daily newspaper investigative team discovered that Noine was
indeed in the office when a detachment of policemen from the Lagos Area F
Police Command stormed the Oluwole Ladipo office of Toppan Packaging
Company to effect his arrest. He hid in one of the disused offices and
was later ferried out through a rear gate. Staff members pointedly
assert that the police detachment is in collusion with the management as
they failed to conduct a thorough search even when they were given a
tip about his where about.
Ossai’s family members refused to leave the premises of the company
since they are aware that Noine is hiding in one of the disused offices
in the company and the detachment from Area F were only playing to the
gallery, it took a detachment from the State Anti Robbery Squad (SARS)
allegedly brought in by Toppan’s management, to forcibly dispersed them
on Tuesday the 17th December. When bold members explained the
development to SARS operatives they refused to make any arrest, but
advised that they don’t constitute a breach of public peace, and should
proceed to engage the services of a legal practitioner. All attempt by
National Daily to get an audience with the Area F Commander and the
Investigating Police Officer (IPO) over this incident as at press time
proved abortive, but one of the Inspectors who was on the failed arrest
bid directed this medium to the Public Relation Unit of the Command at
Oduduwa in the Ikeja Government Residential Area.
The company’s Administrative Executive Mr. Abass acknowledged the
incident but adds that the company has settled with the Police and that
every enquiry over the incident should be directed at the authorities of
the Area F Lagos Police Command with whom he claimed they have settled
and resolved this matter. Several calls made to Ngozi Braide Lagos State
Police Public Relation Officer was not picked nor returned, even this
text message “The crime desk of National Daily Newspaper will want to
know the investigation status on the assault of a female Nigerian
supervisor in Toppan Packaging Limited, Ikeja Mrs. Alice Alessandra
Ossai by her Lebanese Manager Mr. Kaveh Noine which led to the loss of
her 7 month pregnancy. The case was reported at the Area F police
command” sent to Braide over this development was neither acknowledged
nor replied to. Sources say that this is one of the many physical
assaults meted out by the said Noine on casual staff members on weekly
basis. On Saturday December 7 Noine slapped and kicked one Ayo Philips
whom he summarily dismissed from work and made to forfeit payments and
monies due him.
A physically drained Ossai while speaking with this medium on her
sick bed said she never envisaged that she will be in this condition.
She regretted not reporting the assault to the police immediately the
incident happened. In her words “It is the consideration for survival
and the pervasive unemployment in the country that made me stomach the
assault and the insult, I considered the fact that I am a casual worker
and I have a sick and aged mother to take care of, I was expecting my
baby in couple of weeks, I need money to take care of my delivery and
the expected child, even when my siblings with whom I worked together in
the company were going to have a show down with Noine I stopped them, I
even went to work the following day in pains till I almost collapsed on
the factory floor on Monday.
“Now I have lost on all fronts, I lost the baby, I lost the job, my
health is in jeopardy and my spouse and I are in debt due to Noine
assault. Now my family members are running from pillar to post to raise
the money to pay for the Caesarian Section, I learnt I was given several
pints of blood and I have received other drugs and medications”.
Elvis Ossai, Alice spouse said the fate that befell his wife is quiet
unfortunate and avoidable. He offered that the officers and men of the
Lagos Area F police command disappointed him over the way and manner
they handled investigation into this incident; “I make bold to say to
Nigerians that they connived with the management of Toppan Packaging
Company to shield a foreigner who beat up Nigerian in her own country
from facing justice. The assault on my wife led to the loss of a seven
month pregnancy; instead of a naming ceremony we just conducted a
funeral, we were denied the joy of parenthood just as we were looking
forward to it”, Elvis said in an emotional laden voice.
Story by: PeaceBenWillaims.com, SisiYemmie.com and CitizenConfidential.com