A 20-year-old woman in Anambra State, Chidinma Nwaedoka, is purportedly involved in the abandonment of her recently born baby boy within a pit toilet. The incident reportedly occurred on Sunday within the community of Otuocha, situated in the Anambra East Local Government Area.
Chidinma Nwaedoka, originally from the Izzi Local Government Area of Ebonyi State in the southeast, is accused of deliberately carrying out this act. A media aide to the Commissioner for Women and Social Welfare in the state, Ify Obinabo, disclosed the distressing occurrence in a statement on Tuesday. According to the statement, the baby was rescued from the pit toilet, which was still in the process of being constructed at the time of the incident.
An attached video clip in the statement features Esther Omesi, a friend and farmer who accommodated the suspect due to a temporary job on her farm. Omesi recounted that on Sunday, the suspect, who was pregnant, claimed to be experiencing stomach discomfort and entered the pit toilet for relief. After a substantial amount of time, she emerged with blood on her body, expressing that it seemed like her baby had shifted. Concerned, Omesi sought medical assistance, which revealed that the baby was no longer present within the suspect’s abdomen.
Later on Tuesday, when Omesi approached the pit toilet, she heard the cries of a baby. Investigating further, she discovered a newborn within the pit. With the help of onlookers, the baby was rescued from the pit. Subsequent interrogation of the suspect led to her admission of involvement in the infant’s abandonment.
Reacting to the incident, Commissioner Ify Obinabo swiftly intervened, ensuring the infant’s transfer to Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University Teaching Amaku in Awka for medical care. The commissioner condemned the increasing rate of criminal activities involving women in the state. She emphasized that such heinous acts would not be tolerated under Governor Charles Soludo’s administration, assuring that her ministry would appropriately handle the case.
