A 14-year-old student, Bashir Salisu’s testicles have been accidentally plucked off by the belt of a grinding machine yesterday.
The Junior Secondary School student who engages in the grinding of grains under the tutelage of a man at the Muda Lawal Market, Bauchi got more than he bargained for when the engine caught his trouser.
Bashir, according to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), is a student of Government Day Secondary School, Tudun Salmanu area of Bauchi metropolis, who sat for his JSS examination (junior WAEC), preparatory to seeking admission to Senior Secondary School.
Narrating his ordeal in pains at the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital (ATBU-TH), Bauchi, Bashir said the sad event occurred about 10 a.m. on Friday, when, in the course of running the engine, the rotating belt mistakenly got in contact with his baggy trousers and pulled him.
“When my trousers got entangled as a result of the fast rotating belt, it instantly severed my testicles and inflicted grave injuries on my private part.
“The pain was unbearable and I was rushed to the hospital, where medical personnel started treating me.
“Unfortunately, the testicles had gone and can no longer be replaced; the doctors confirmed that the situation is irredeemable,” Bashir said in tears.
The victim said he engaged in grinding to learn a trade that he could rely on as jobs were not easy to come by these days.
He added: “I engage in the trade after school hours and during holidays to enable me to become self-reliant during and after my studies as white-collar jobs are not easy to come by.
“My parents are poor and I need to prepare myself, not only to be self-employed but also help them and my younger brothers and sisters.”
Bashir’s father, Malam Salisu Mohammed, a farmer, said when the accident occurred, he had to struggle to contain himself.
He said: “I felt highly disturbed initially but was able to collect myself later, believing that tragedies are ordained by God and must, therefore, be accepted when they happen.
“We have intensified prayers for his quick recovery, even though we have been made to understand by medical experts that his testicles are gone for good.
“We thank God that he survived the accident; he could have been dead by now and we must appreciate such luck.
“Our major challenge now is footing the bill of his treatment; we are therefore seizing this opportunity to appeal for assistance from government, individuals, and organizations.”
On her part, Bashir’s mother, Mrs. Aisha Salisu, said she was traumatized by the ordeal of her son.
She said: “He had been weeping all through until now that he was able to collect himself. Seeing him wept profusely touched me a lot and made me express some emotions, but thank God, he is now calm.”
A Consultant Urologist at the ATBU-TH, Dr. Liman Usman, said the student sustained injuries on his scrotum and testicles caused by the belt of a grinding machine.
He said: “His trousers got entangled in the belt of a grinding machine, leading to the complete abortion of the testicles and scrotum; both testicles were severed.
“He had lacerations on his private part but these were just bruises; the inner shaft was intact.”
The consultant said it was not possible to transplant the testicles because of their complex nature, adding that efforts should be geared towards making the student to psychologically accept the situation as it is.
Usman, however, said what could be done to address the psychological feeling of the boy, was to make provision for plastic scrotum, which could only be done in hospitals abroad.
He added: “What can be done is to attach plastic scrotum so that when he feels it, he will have the impression that he had his testicles intact.
“This is good for his psychological development, but this cannot be done in Nigeria, except overseas.”
