A 33-year-old woman, Dumebi Okolie in Okpanam community, near Asaba, Delta State was in the early hours of Friday arrested by police detectives attached to Okpanam Police division for allegedly dumping her one-day-old baby into a soak-away in the area.
It was gathered that the suspect, a native of Ohafia community in Ebonyi State, is married in Okpanam, Idigbeocha quarters, and has been having problem with the husband over his alleged randy behaviour before the incident.
The Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, in the state, DSP Andrew Aniamaka, who confirmed the arrest of the suspect to DAILY POST said, “the suspect committed the crime on Thursday night, and ran into hiding. She allegedly dumped the baby into the soakaway in anger when it was becoming frequent of her husband with women. Upon interrogation, she confessed it was the devil’s work. She is being detained for further investigation.”
Eyewitness, Ngozi Amarachi, who spoke to our correspondent, narrated that “neighbours helped to bring the baby out, but was already dead. We looked for her but she ran into hiding, and was later found in the bush where the police arrested her.”
Sources alleged the suspect had threatened to dump the baby she delivered safely since over husband’s purported refusal to change – a decision she believed was the only way to escape to her community.
She was quoted to have said, “I can’t have this baby with me since my husband is always after women. I will dump the baby in the toilet and run away to my community, he won’t see me”.
But her husband, in a swift reaction to DAILY POST, denied all the allegations, saying: “I am Richard Okolie, an electrician. Immediately we got home from the hospital, she was looking very sad and I tried to know what was the matter, she refused to talk to me till the following day. I went to work and I did not come home on time. Upon returned, I started looking for her when I found people gathered in my compound, and I was told she dumped my baby into soak-away. The baby was brought out through the help of the people, but had died.”
Speaking further, Aniamaka said the suspect will be charged to court upon completion of investigation.
Although some unconfirmed sources say the baby girl survived, and was taken to Federal Medical Center (FMC) Asaba, staffers of the hospital, who spoke to DAILY POST on condition of anonymity, said “We don’t have a baby of such here. Please go through all the wards and be sure”.
At the various wards, the said baby was not found, instead nurses were seen discussing the story in hush tone.
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