By Joy Mbachi
Dr Flora Ilonzo, founder, Centre for Psychic and Healing Administration (CPHA), Anambra State, has denied allegations that a gorilla which escaped from her centre to attack a school child.
Ilonzo said this in a statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), through her media aide, Mr Okechukwu Onugbue, on Friday, in Awka, Anambra state.
She refuted the allegations, saying that instead it was a monkey which escaped when its cage was being cleaned on Wednesday morning, that attacked a student.
She said, however, that the monkey has since been re-caged.
“We were cleaning the monkey’s cage on Wednesday morning, unfortunately for us the monkey ran out and bite a girl child that was going to school.
“Her father came to my Compound to ask me for the name of the injection to be used for his daughter’s treatment.
“She was taken to Assumpta Hospital and the doctor asked him to come to me so that I will tell him the name of the injection to be used,” she said.
I went to that hospital immediately and showed them the anti-rabies injection. I also went by myself in search of the injection but could not find it in Awka.
“I ordered the injection from Onitsha, for N18,500, and went to the hospital to see the victim and the doctor, to ensure that they have gotten the injection but the doctor said that they still need it.
“I urged them to calm down that I have made arrangements for the injection to be delivered as soon as possible.
“When the injection I ordered arrived, I gave it to them and they injected the girl and promised to discharge her in the evening.
“The child has also been discharged from the hospital. All I pray is for the girl to be healed,” she said.
NAN report that a doctor at the Assumpta hospital, who does not want his name mentioned, confirmed the incident and said that the child has been discharged from the hospital.
In a swift response, CSP Haruna Muhammed, the spokesman of the Police Command in Anambra, in a statement, corroborated the media story that a gorilla had escaped from CPHA and injured a school child.
The statement further said that the command was collaborating with relevant government agencies in order to ensure that the animals at the Centre are securely kept to prevent a repeat of the incident. (NAN)
