Mentally challenged woman gives birth in Lagos

Residents of Owoseni Street woke up to the cry of a baby in the early hours of Tuesday as a mentally challenged woman, identified as Ethel Akuboh, delivered a baby girl.

Ethel, who lives alone with her two-year-old daughter inside a one-room apartment at 7 Owoseni Street, Mechanic bus stop, along Badagry expressway, gave birth to a healthy baby herself without any support.

It was gathered that her husband, Remiguis Akuboh, who rented the apartment for her five months ago disappeared afterwards.

When pressmen visited the location, Ethel was sitting on the bare floor, with her two-year-old daughter, Blessing, inside a dirty room with all sorts of junk scattered around, while her baby slept in an old baby cot.

Rallying around Ethel, a neighbour gave her food and helped tidied up the room.  Another neighbour, a nursing mother, boiled water to bathe the newborn.

Looking very awkward, Ethel said: “I am from Isoko in Delta State, my relatives are in the village. It is only my husband, who knows this place. He rented the place for me. The last time he visited was two months ago. He is the father of my daughter, Blessing. This is my fifth child. 

"Three of my children are with their grandfather in the village. When I called him on phone yesterday, he said he had gone to the village but he said he will come to see us.”

According to another neighbour, Iya Junior, "We need the government and the Ministry of Women Affairs to rescue her and take proper care of her and the children."

Culled from Vanguard