The housewife, Fatimoh Adekoya, 29, was caught by her husband on Saturday, 21 December, after placing the baby together with the placenta beside a soak-away in front of their house at 27, Ifelodun Street, Weighbridge, Owode-Onirin, Mile 12, Lagos.
Fatimoh, a mother of three, delivered the baby herself around 4 a.m. on Saturday and wrapped it with a cloth along with the placenta and placed it beside the soak-away.
Her husband, Quadri Mayowa Adekoya, who claimed he did not know that his wife was pregnant, said he saw blood all over her and also on the floor in the house.
Apart from the blood, he also heard a baby crying outside. He later traced the blood from his room to a Bagco sack placed beside the soak-away. The baby and placenta were wrapped with a cloth.
“I saw my wife dripping with blood and while still wondering what was wrong, I heard cries of a baby outside. I traced the blood and discovered that the cries were coming from a baby inside a Bagco sack placed beside the soak-away. I knew instantly it was my wife who dumped the baby there,” he narrated.
He said that he was surprised by the findings, adding that his wife never told him she was pregnant. ”Moreover, we’ve not had sex in the last one year because we were living like a cat and mouse in the house,” he said.
According to him, he leaves home 5 a.m. and return 9 p.m. everyday and this made it difficult for him to notice that she was pregnant.
“We are just living under the same roof without any intimacy. We did not have sex. We have been fighting because she failed to perform her responsibilities as a wife. She does not take care of my children and does not cook or wash my clothes. So, I let her be,” he said.
After much persuasion at the police station, Fatimoh Adekoya was forced to confess her sins. She confessed that she had an affair with one Moshood Agbaje, a bricklayer, living around the area. According to her, he slept with her only once and did not know that it would lead to pregnancy. She described her action as a mistake and begged for forgiveness. She believed that Moshood must have used a charm on her.
“I only did it once with Moshood. He was a bricklayer close to our house, I never knew it would turned out like this. I know he must have charmed me,” she said.
When asked her reasons for engaging in illicit affairs, she blamed it all on her husband, Quadri. She described him as irresponsible, adding that he doesn’t give her the necessary attention.
Asked to respond to his wife’s claim of neglect, Quadri denied vehemently that he does not take care of his wife.
The wife’s mother, Mrs. Taiwo Abass, who was also present at the station, admitted that her daughter made a mistake, adding that by her action, she has brought shame and disgrace to her family.
“I don’t want to discuss this matter any further. My daughter made a big mistake and she has brought shame and disgrace to the family,” she said.
A neighbour, Mrs. Bola Bamidele, who was also present at the scene, said she was touched by the development. She described Fatimoh as heartless. She commended her husband for calling a nurse to stop Fatimoh’s bleeding and rescue the baby.
“I am deeply touched by this situation. How can a mother be this heartless. Her husband is a good man to have called the nurse to rescue both mother and child, knowing the situation surrounding the birth of the child.
“The baby needs to be properly taken care of. I will advise that the government should be involved in this matter. The baby should be taken into custody, if not, a woman that can do this, can definitely kill the child later and this will be bad,” she said.
A friend to the husband who did not want his name in print, also condemned Fatimoh’s action, describing her as greedy and self centred. “She does not have any reason to be involved in illicit affairs. She can make do with the little amount given her by the man. The man is a labourer. She also collects salary from her workplace. She can add them together to make a living and not engage in extra-marital affairs.
After her confessions, the Divisional Crime Officer at the station, a Deputy Superintendent of Police, Emmauel Ugwujja, released her, considering her condition.
P.M.NEWS gathered that efforts are being made to contact the Lagos State Ministry of Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation (WAPA), to wade into the matter.
The police officer said government should wade into the matter to save the baby from the callous mother.
P.M.NEWS also went the extra mile of identifying Moshood Agbaje, the bricklayer who impregnated Fatimoh. He was found at a building site working. He admitted sleeping with the woman but said he did not know that sleeping with her once could have led to pregnancy. He said he was not informed that she was pregnant until this moment.
“I slept with her once. She is always coming to beg for money from me. One day, I told her she should let us play, so, we did and that was the last time I saw her. She did not tell me that she was pregnant, so why should I accept the baby nine months after?” he asked.
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