How I Was Bathed With Acid Meant for My Only Brother — Anambra Graduate

An Anambra State graduate, Obanye Francess, has recounted how she survived a life-altering acid attack at the age of nine—an attack she says was intended for her only brother but left her with permanent facial injuries and a lifetime of recovery.

Francess, who studied Biochemistry at Anambra State University, described the incident as the defining moment of her childhood, one rooted in long-standing family disputes.

According to her, the attack occurred on November 17, 2004, in a family compound where tensions between her father and his siblings had escalated over time.

“There were constant arguments and threats,” she said. “One day, they said they would deal with my parents, but it was not taken seriously.”

On the morning of the incident, Francess was asleep in her grandmother’s room—a change from her usual sleeping arrangement. Her mother had asked her to stay there the night before while attending to another sibling.

That decision, she said, placed her directly in harm’s way.

“My uncle’s wife came with a bucket of acid. Her target was my brother, the only son. She later claimed she mistook me for him because I was dressed like him,” Francess said.

The attacker reportedly poured the acid on both Francess and her grandmother while they slept. Her grandmother sustained injuries to the back of her head, but Francess suffered severe burns to her face.

“When I started screaming, my mother tried to come in, but the door had been locked from the outside. The woman fled immediately after,” she recalled.

The suspect was never apprehended. Although a court case was initiated, Francess said her family eventually abandoned it due to emotional and financial strain.

Following the attack, she spent more than a year receiving medical treatment. Returning to school proved difficult.

“My classmates were scared. Some of them screamed and ran away from me. It made me feel like I didn’t belong,” she said.

Despite the challenges, she completed her education, supported by her parents, whom she described as her strongest pillars. Both parents have since passed away—her father in 2022 and her mother in 2023.

“My mother was my best friend. Losing her felt like losing a part of myself,” she said.

Now an entrepreneur, Francess runs an online business selling luggage and clothing, after facing repeated rejection in the job market.

“Society is not very accommodating to people like me,” she said. “I have applied for jobs many times without success.”

She noted that discrimination remains a recurring experience, including hurtful comments from peers during her university years. Still, she said she has learned to maintain her self-worth.

“I don’t allow people to define me,” she said. “My scars do not define who I am.”

Francess also raised concerns about the lack of support for burn survivors and persons with disabilities in Nigeria, describing many as “invisible” within society.

“There should be structured opportunities—jobs, empowerment, financial support. Many people don’t even have the chance to start small businesses,” she said.

Reflecting on her journey, she defined healing not as physical recovery but as emotional resilience.

“Healing means getting to a point where people’s words no longer affect you,” she said. “I have accepted my reality.”

She encouraged other survivors to focus on self-acceptance, noting that the path is often difficult but necessary.

“This journey is not easy, but your scars are not who you are,” she said.