Ifunanya Eme, a 31-year-old woman who dumped her one-day-old baby shortly after putting to bed, has blamed her actions on the man who got her pregnant and ran away, leaving her with the burden of taking care of the baby all alone.
Eme, a salesgirl and single mother of three other children, was arrested by police operatives attached to Ajangbadi Police Division, Lagos State, for dumping the infant by the roadside at Ojo, at about 3am.
The lucky baby was found by a passer-by who alerted the police and on investigations, the DPO of the Division, CSP Alim Musagot an alert from a neighbour of the suspect about blood trickling out of her house and when the police got to the residence, Eme admitted to her offense.
She confessed that her action was predicated on the fact that she could not take care of the baby and the three kids she had from her previous marriage whom she left with her elder sister in Enugu State before she relocated to Lagos.
She told the police that the man who got her pregnant, identified as John, abandoned her immediately she told him she was carrying his baby.
“I am not married. I work as a salesgirl at a supermarket at Church bus stop in Ajangbadi. I met John last year and we started dating. When I discovered that I was pregnant early this year, I called John and he said he was traveling and he was not prepared to take care of any child.
Since then, he had not come to see me, and his mobile phone number had been switched off. I was delivered of the baby at home on Monday because I could not afford the hospital bill. I am an orphan.
So, when John left me, I did not have parents that I could give the baby to. I, therefore, decided to dump her by the roadside where kind-hearted people could pick her up.
When some neighbours found her, they reported at the police station and the baby was traced to me. It was poverty that forced me to abandon the girl by the roadside.
The man responsible for the pregnancy denied me. I was staying in Ajah but relocated to Ajangbadi where I was offered a job in a factory. When I thought about losing the job, I made up my mind to dump the baby that has already put me in problem.
The baby is a child of destiny because I did not go for ante-natal throughout the pregnancy. The day I was in labour, I did not seek assistance from anybody. I went to the toilet with a knife. I delivered myself of the baby and I used it to cut the placenta.
In fact, I made up my mind that I must do away with the baby. I don’t want to be embarrassed in future by the baby who would ask of her father."
"After cleaning myself, I took the baby and dumped her at the roadside, before going inside to sleep. I never thought of going back to check her.
My intention was for someone to pick her and take care of her. I am sorry for my action. Nobody knew I was pregnant because I had a flat stomach. I will train her if they give her back to me.”
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