Mentally challenged woman gives birth to baby girl in Ondo State, Nigeria

On the 9th of September 2017, a mentally challenged woman gave birth to a baby girl unaided at a point along Ikoya-Okitipupa road.
The situation called for sympathy and protection of the new baby and protect her right to life. The attention of the Chairman Hon Morenike Alaka, who was attending a function with the First Lady Arabirin Betty Anyanwu-Akeredolu in Lagos on that day, was drawn to the incident. She had to rush back home on the 10th of September 2017 to take charge of the well being of the mother and baby.

As a concerned mother she instructed the workers of the Community Dept., Environmental Officers, Medical personnel and the security agents to visit the scene. On getting there the mother did not allow the team to get near her, threatening to kill  the child if they chose to collect the child from her. She said she gave birth to twins and someone had earlier collected one of the babies away from her. After over 10  hours of manipulation, negotiation, it took three different teams of social workers, medical staff, and police to wittily collect the child from her , after which they took it to the General Hospital in Okitipupa. 

The  Commissioner of Women Affairs Hon  Omowumi Olatunji-Edet directed a delegation from the Ministry in Akure to visit Okitipupa in respect of the matter. It was learnt that the Ministry had undertaken to be responsible for taking care of the child and the mother. The mother will be kept at the psychiatric hospital in Akure  for proper medical attention.

Meanwhile Hon Alaka assembled religious leaders, the political leaders like the APC Chairman of the LGA, the police, the staff of the LGA to do a naming ceremony for her on the 10th of September. A solemn ceremony was done and the names of the baby were: Betty (after the First Lady) Morenike (after the Chairman) Akeredolu (after the Governor of Ondo State). Birth Certificate number 0006574 dated 12 – 09 – 2017 was issued to record the birth of the baby.

In her speech during the naming ceremony Hon Morenike Alaka admonished men to desist from putting women who are already distressed due to mental illness  into the family way. The act is wicked and a gross abuse to the victim. It is a shameful act. Whatever the aim of that man was would  not be achieved. It is sinful to man and God. Every child has a fundamental right to life and so she promised to do all that is within her capacity to ensure that the baby lives. She then solicited from all well meaning Nigerians to come to the aid of this baby to guaranty that she does not lack the basic things of life.

Hon Alaka acknowledged the efforts of all the teams that helped in getting the baby off the mother and all the efforts put to it to see that the baby was not hurt. She thanked all the LGA staff for rising up to the occasion. She particularly thanked the following staff Mrs Justina Odusola, who was there taking care of the baby in the hospital for days before the State Officials came, Mr & Mrs Omogoroye, and Mrs Yinka Iluyemi and particularly the SA  to the Chairman Barr. Femi Oladokun for all his efforts at recording  the information in pictures and videos and updates as the news was unfolding. He also ensured that the whatsapp readers were kept up to date at all times on the issue. She also thanked everyone who assisted by supplying different kinds of baby materials including food to meet the immediate needs of the baby.

. The Chairman with her team promised to do a follow up on the baby and her mother.