Neighbourhood Dispute Turns Tragic As Woman Suffers Severe Burns From Boiling Water

What began as a disagreement between two neighbours over the use of a shared compound space in Lugbe, Abuja, has left one woman nursing serious burns after she was allegedly doused with boiling water.

The victim, identified as Gift Amos, is currently receiving medical treatment for injuries she sustained during the incident after her neighbour, Mrs Beauty Monday, poured boiling water on her.

Narrating the incident, Amos said it occurred on 4th September, 2026, when a disagreement with Mrs Monday escalated after she moved her attacker’s pot of boiling water from a stove to the section of the compound allocated to her.

The action was said to have angered Monday, who allegedly retrieved the pot and poured its contents on Amos’s back.

The incident was reported at the Lugbe Police Division on 6th September at about 3:30pm, two days after the alleged attack.

When contacted, the FCT police command spokesperson, SP Josephine Adeh, said police preliminary investigations established that the dispute was initially centred on the use of the shared compound space before it escalated into violence.

She explained that Monday has subsequently been arraigned before a court and remanded in the Suleja Correctional Centre pending further proceedings.

The case has been adjourned to 16th September, 2026, for a hearing.

Adeh further stated that “The incident has once again highlighted how seemingly ordinary disagreements between neighbours can quickly spiral into life-altering consequences when emotions take over.”

“For Amos, what started as a dispute over a shared space has resulted in painful injuries requiring medical attention, while her neighbour now faces criminal proceedings.”

Reacting to the incident, the commissioner of police, FCT Command, CP Ahmed Muhammed Sanusi, urged residents to exercise restraint and embrace peaceful ways of resolving disagreements.

The CP warned against resorting to self-help or violence during disputes, stressing the need for residents to seek lawful means of settling conflicts.