The operatives of the Nigeria Police Force in Delta State have confirmed the arrest of a young mother, Blessing Jonathan, for allegedly throwing her 10-month-old baby, Prevail, into a river.
In a statement issued on Monday, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), SP Bright Edafe, disclosed that Jonathan initially reported her baby missing at a police station, only for investigations to reveal otherwise.
“This lady succumbed to pressure from people calling her child a bastard. She took care of her baby for 10 months but couldn’t bear the ridicule. She then threw the baby into a river and reported the child as missing.
“Her confession came when the baby’s body was found floating and brought to the station,” Edafe said.
Blessing, while being paraded by the police, confessed that she was abandoned by the baby’s father, Ugo, and left to fend for herself and the child.
“I was angry and overwhelmed by the way people judged me. They called my child a bastard. I was the only one caring for him because his father abandoned us. I regret everything. That baby was my first and only child,” she said.
SP Edafe, however, appealed to the public to be cautious with their words, saying, “Stigma can drive people to unimaginable actions.
“Let’s be more empathetic and supportive to those facing challenges. The suspect is in custody as investigations continue.”