Mary Daniel, the amputee hawker, has apologized to Nigerians for not being completely truthful about her condition.
The 27-year-old single mother received N25 million donations from Nigerians who were touched by claims that she lost her leg in an accident that claimed the life of all passengers, including her parents.
However, it has been claimed that there was no accident and she was amputated “from birth”, a claim she denies. It was also reported that her father is still alive.
Speaking to SaharaReporters, Mary said she made a mistake by claiming her father was dead, but she did so because the man abandoned her.
Mary, however, denied claims that her presence in Oshodi was staged to garner sympathy. According to her, she said she had been hawking for a while to make ends meet.
She explained that she used to hawk in Onitsha, Anambra state, from where she moved to Asaba in Delta state and then to Lagos.
Also, she denied claims that she had been receiving strange calls from the people who staged her story as they want their share of the donations.
While speaking to SaharaReporters, she mentioned that it was her maternal grandmother who had been making the calls to demand for money even after she sent her N200, 000.
She said I’d rather send more money or she will expose me and I will go back to selling pure water. I was shocked and asked what sort of thing is this. She’s my maternal grandmother, she is really old.
My aunties and uncles from my mother’s side are the ones pushing my grandmother into this and if she continues like this, later she will regret it. I have told her to calm down that I will take care of her but she refused. She is busy following her children around, making videos, that’s their business.
“Nigerians should forgive me. People that stay on the streets and in noisy places, they hardly have a settled mind and I said my father is late so Nigerians can help me. I made a big mistake; Nigerians should please forgive me.
“I want to open a supermarket in Lagos. I have always been a pure water hawker. Lagos is not the first place, I started from Onitsha, from there, I sold pure water in Asaba from there I came to Lagos. I don’t beg, even in my condition, I hawk that water so I can survive. That’s the business I have always been doing.
I really appreciate the Lagos state government, Mr Idris, the hotel man that gave me accommodation, that celebrated my birthday. I also appreciate Princess Aderemi, for all the support and everyone that helped. I promise not to fail Nigerians.”
Also speaking, His Royal Highness, Sani Yakubu Ejima, Onu Igala, leader of the Igala people in Lagos and Chairman of all the Kogi Igala traditional rulers in Lagos told SaharaReporters that Mary Daniel was not handed over to the police as some reports had claimed.
According to him, the Special Adviser to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Civic Engagement, Aderemi Adebowale, handed Daniel over to a committee, including Irede Foundation and to him so they can assist Daniel in setting up a business.
