Earlyface

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.
Quadri's wife and baby after the rescue
Quadri's wife and baby after the rescue
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."
Quadri Adekoya Quadri Adekoya After her
confessions, the Divisional Crime Officer at
the station, a Deputy Superintendent of
Police, Emmauel Ugwujja, released her,
considering her condition.
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. Moshood Agbaje, the
bricklayer who impregnated Fatimoh, 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.

nawa ooo