Peace Adedigba
A 20-year-old lady, Nwaedoka Chidimma, from the Izzi community in Ebonyi State, has allegedly disposed of her newborn baby in a pit toilet in Otuocha community, Anambra East Local Government Area of Anambra State, where she had gone to perform a farming job.
PLATFORM TIMES has gathered that the incident happened on Sunday. The baby was later rescued on Tuesday after some residents heard him crying from the pit toilet.
A resident, who identified herself as Esther, disclosed that Chidimma, who was pregnant at the time, secured a farm job in the community. While on the farm, she went to use the toilet, after which she came back dripping with blood.
According to her, the suspect pleaded to stay at Esther’s residence for a few days to enable her to carry out the farming job she had secured in the area.
She said, “Chidimma is my friend; she begged me to let her stay at my place for a few days because of a farming job she got. She was working on the farm when she suddenly started acting strangely after complaining of stomach upset. She went to the pit toilet to ease herself.
“After spending time in the toilet, she came out with drops of blood. I thought she had a stillbirth, and I quickly invited a nurse who, after examining her, disclosed that the baby was gone.
“I encouraged her to travel back home to her parents and notify them of the situation because I thought she had a stillbirth.
“It was on Tuesday when we started hearing a baby’s cry that we quickly used a ladder to climb down the pit, rescued the newborn baby, and immediately alerted security agencies and the Ministry of Women and Social Welfare.”
Reacting to the incident, the Commissioner for Women and Social Welfare, Ify Obinabo, took the newborn to Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu Teaching Hospital, Amaku Awka for treatment, and the culprit was subsequently arrested.
Obinabo revealed that the baby is stable and currently receiving treatment at the hospital, adding that the suspect has been arrested.
She therefore decried the high rate at which young girls commit crimes, stating that the young mother won’t go unpunished.
She also stressed that the State Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, has zero tolerance for such acts.
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