Published 19th Dec, 2021

By Yakubu Mohammed

Gift Nwafor, 19, the mother of Chidubem, a five-month-old baby, has accused Tina Ogbonnaya, her boss’ wife, of killing her baby.

Tina’s husband had brought in Gift to their apartment in Ajah, Lagos, as maid in January. In a live interview with Punch on Saturday, Gift said Tina’s husband brought her from a village in Imo State.

Findings revealed that she had been pregnant before joining her benefactors in Lagos. When she gave birth on June 11, the couple settled her hospital bills.

GIFT’S ORDEAL

Gift’s relationship with her benefactors went south sometime in November when Tina sent her on an errand around 02:00 am.

“She said I should go and buy bread and tea around 02:00 am,” said Gift. “Everywhere was dark. While returning, I saw her husband at the door. He asked me where I was coming from.”

The man said Gift had gone to prostitute herself.

“No, sir, that was not what happened,” she replied.

But her effort to explain to the enraged man proved abortive. She was kicked out of the house in the middle of the night without her baby.

Subsequently, she tried to get her baby out, but she was told to refund the hospital bills they had paid earlier.

N5 MILLION HOSPITAL BILLS

Gift said her boss told her on the phone to bring N200,000 before her baby could be released. She pleaded with her to release the baby and give her time to get the money.

“Later his wife called me back and increased the money to N5 million,” Gift muttered. She said the money was later reduced to N4 million. Gift wondered where she would get that kind of money.

Chidubem before he was starved

On Saturday, Harrison Gwamnishu, a human rights activist whom Gift had reported the case to, disclosed on Instagram that the baby was later released after the Lagos State Social Welfare Division and the police intervened.

Gift said her baby, who was healthy the last time she saw him in November, was released “malnourished and half dead”.

Starved Chidubem

The baby was admitted at Mother and Child, a health facility in Ajah, Lagos, where he spent two weeks before giving up the ghost on December 17.

In Harrisogram post, he revealed that Tina, the accused, had been detained by the Divisional Police Station in Ajah and advised that the matter be transferred to the homicide department of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the Nigeria Police.

Adekunle Ajisebutu, the Lagos police spokesman, did not respond to calls. At press time, he had not responded to a text message sent to his phone.

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