Eziomume Solomon, Nnewi
A 21-year-old Onyinye Ugochukwu, student of the Federal Polytechnic, Oko, Anambra State, who was arrested by police for allegedly throwing away her baby girl immediately after delivery, has finally opened up on why she did it.
Onyinye, who is presently nursing her baby at the Chukwunoso Specialist Hospital, Oko, Anambra State, told Sunday Sun that visited her at the hospital that she threw away her newborn baby girl because she did not know the biological father.
“I delivered my baby in my apartment, a private hostel here in Oko. After the delivery, I decided to throw it away, because, my parents were not aware of my pregnancy and childbirth. More importantly, none of my boyfriends accepted responsibility for the pregnancy.
‘So, as a student, there was no way I could take care of myself and the baby at school. I was hiding from my parents for several months because of the pregnancy. I was giving them one flimsy excuse after another. I do not want to continue that lifestyle,” she told our reporter.
Sunday Sun had gathered that the student, who delivered of her baby girl on Saturday, March 7, threw it away through the window of an upstairs, but unknown to her that the baby was trapped by the barbed wire of a fence near the building, and was rescued by people around; and was rushed to the hospital.
According to reports, police operatives from Oko Division later tracked and arrested the lady; and subsequently took her to the hospital to breastfeed the baby.
The medical director of Chukwunoso Specialist Hospital, Oko, Chinonso Nwosu, confirmed to Sunday Sun that the baby girl was found hanging on the barbed wire of a fence at one of the private students’ hostels in Oko.
Nwosu, who said the baby was responding to treatment, added that she only had a wound on her leg, which was trapped in the barbed wire.
“The baby is receiving the necessary treatment to ensure that she doesn’t suffer temperature abnormality. Her mother was later brought to the hospital in handcuffs to breastfeed the baby,” the medical doctor added.
The Public Relations Officer of the polytechnic, Obini Onuchukwu, also confirmed the development.
He said, however, that the incident happened in a private hostel outside the school environment; where the school authority did not have control over students’ actions.
The Police Public Relations Officer in Anambra, Haruna Mohammed, who also confirmed the development; said that the command was already investigating the matter.