Summary: Lagos police arrest 25-year-old data scientist who paid N500k for acid attack on ex-girlfriend. Wrong victim attacked, loses sight, battles for life with N40m medical bills.
A shocking case of obsession and violence has left Lagos residents reeling after a 25-year-old data scientist allegedly orchestrated an acid attack on his ex-girlfriend that tragically went terribly wrong, leaving an innocent salesgirl fighting for her life.
The suspect, a master’s degree holder residing in Lakwe, Ibeju-Lekki area of Lagos State, has been arrested by the Lagos State Police Command following a methodical investigation that traced threatening messages back to him.
How a Breakup Turned Into a Nightmare
According to police reports, the suspect met his girlfriend online in January 2025. Their relationship, which began in the digital space like many modern romances, seemed promising at first. However, things took a dark turn when the young woman decided to end the relationship in October 2025.
Unable to accept the breakup, the suspect became convinced she had moved on to someone else. What happened next reveals a disturbing descent from heartbreak to criminal conspiracy.
“I felt emotionally hurt, so I hired a man and paid N500,000. I only asked him to help me ‘deal with her’ not to pour her acid,” the suspect claimed during interrogation.
The Attack That Went Horribly Wrong
In a plot that sounds like something from a crime thriller, the data scientist contracted a man—who is currently at large—and paid him half a million naira to attack his ex-girlfriend. The hired attacker, unfamiliar with his intended target, went to the woman’s shop and made a fatal mistake.
He poured acid on her salesgirl instead, mistaking the innocent worker for the ex-girlfriend.
The consequences have been devastating. The victim has already lost her sight and continues to battle for her life at an undisclosed Lagos hospital. Medical bills have reportedly exceeded N40 million, a staggering sum that highlights the severity of her injuries.
The Trail of Evidence
Even after the wrong person was attacked, the suspect continued sending threatening messages to his ex-girlfriend—a mistake that would ultimately lead to his arrest. Police investigators tracked his phone number and apprehended him.
The Lagos State Police Command spokesperson, SP Abimbola Adebisi, confirmed the arrest to journalists, stating that the suspect is currently in custody at the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) where further investigation is ongoing.
A Wake-Up Call on Relationship Violence
This tragic incident serves as a stark reminder of the dangers of obsessive behaviour and the extreme lengths some people go to when they feel rejected. The suspect’s education and professional status as a data scientist makes this case even more troubling—it shows that domestic violence and relationship crimes can come from any quarter.
The innocent salesgirl, simply doing her job, has become a victim of someone else’s toxic relationship. Her life has been forever changed, her sight stolen, and her family burdened with astronomical medical expenses.
As investigations continue, Lagosians and Nigerians at large are calling for justice for the victim and a thorough prosecution of both the suspect and his accomplice, who remains at large.
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