A baby dumped by her mother in a manhole in Benin City has been reunited with the mother after spending a year and six months in an orphanage where she was taken to by a good Samaritan who rescued her. Baby Destiny was a day old when the mother who claimed she did not know what she was doing dropped her in a manhole filled with dirt. The mother who latter surfaced, saying she was depressed following several circumstances including the fact that she was unable to locate the whereabout of the father.
The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Youth and Gender Issues, Dr. Peter Osagie made the presentation of the baby to the family of the mother after an undertaking to take care of the child and ensure that such incident will not repeat itself again.
“It was the destiny of the baby to survive and the dirt in the manhole may have also contributed to ensuring that she was safe before she was rescued by the good Samaritan. We are handing over the child to the family members with the assurances made that it will not happen again.
“The baby will continue to be under the watch of the ministry until we are satisfied. We will pay surprise visits and make constant calls to find out about the condition of the baby,” he noted.
While commending the Aid People Change Nigeria Charity and Orphanage Organization for demonstrating the spirit of a humanitarian indeed for keeping the baby till now, the Permanent Secretary, said since a DNA test has confirmed that the baby belongs to Iyobosa, the ministry will commence the process of reuniting the baby with the mother.
“Sometimes, orphanages offer day care services to that extent but when the ministry is aware, everything must go through the proper channel which you have done. As for Iyobosa, she has gone through a series of counselling and medications, and she should be rest assured that she is going to have the opportunity to make up for lost grounds and also know that whatever came over her then is not the baby’s fault,” he added.
Iyobosa, who has another child said she has learnt her lessons and did not know what came over her when she dumped Destiny in a manhole after giving birth to her, adding that since then she been unable to sleep.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Youth and Gender Issues has confirmed and reassured the public that the baby delivered by a woman who is mentally unstable recently in Benin City is in the custody of the ministry and the mother is receiving treatment in a healing home.
