I read on a friend’s Facebook Timeline this week where he posted an event that happened on November 31, 2024. A woman identified as Blessing Ibuku, was arrested by the Delta State Police Command over the alleged murder of her 10-month-old child by throwing her into the river. According to the Commissioner of Police, the suspect confessed during investigation that she threw the baby away because her friends and other girls were making jest of her that the child did not have a father. The police boss said that the suspect will be arraigned in court as soon as possible.
Blessing’s case exposes the disturbing consequences of societal stigma and emotional distress. While the police have moved swiftly to charge her for the crime, the root causes of her actions remain overlooked. This article seeks to explore the social stigma that pushed her to desperation and how family life experts can play a saving role in addressing such issues and offer suggested interventions to prevent future tragedies.
Reports of new-born babies being abandoned in Nigeria have become increasingly frequent and that has become a trend that demands urgent attention.
Earlier this month December 2024, ThisDay Live reported the discovery of a week-old baby at a refuse site behind the mini campus of the University of Abuja in Gwagwalada. Just weeks earlier, another new-born was found abandoned in an uncompleted building in the same area. Similar incidents have been reported in Bwari and Kuje area councils of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), prompting the FCT police command to express concerns over the rising cases of ‘baby dumping’.
Daily Trust of June 7 2017 reported that cases of new-born babies abandoned on refuse heaps, in public conveniences or by the roadside are on the rise in the Federal Capital Territory and its environs.
In the same report, it was captured that two weeks earlier, a baby suspected to be a day-old was found dead in a refuse dump near a hotel in Gwarinpa. Police said the corpse, which was evacuated by officials of the Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB) still had its umbilical cord.
On April 29, 2023, The Punch Newspaper reported a new-born baby was abandoned in a refuse dump in front of Mile 3 Motor Park, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, but the baby was lucky as he was rescued by a vigilante.
These figures were fortunate to be captured by the mainstream media. Many of these happen in rural areas.
The societal pressures faced by single mothers in patriarchal communities like Delta State and mostly in Nigerian states highlight the deep-seated stigma associated with unmarried motherhood. Blessing’s case illustrates how emotional distress, compounded by isolation and public ridicule, can drive individuals to commit desperate acts. Her tragic confession reveals a sense of helplessness and shame inflicted by a society that marginalized her for circumstances beyond her immediate control. No one is talking or stigmatizing the man who impregnated her and ran away. While the legal system has moved swiftly to address the alleged crime committed, this case calls for a broader conversation about the role of social support structures, counselling services, and public awareness campaigns to mitigate the devastating effects of societal judgment and mental health neglect on vulnerable mothers.
While I am not limiting the factors that make these vulnerable women throw their new born babies away to stigmatization alone as a result what fate thrusted on them, I sincerely encourage a holistic approach to correct this malady where the new-born baby bore the brunt of challenges, they knew nothing about but stigmatization appears to be in the forefront. We have had to handle a few of these cases in our organisation in recent years. Social stigma is a big deal in this part of the world
For many unmarried mothers in Nigeria, societal judgment is a heavy burden. For instance, in Blessing’s case, relentless ridicule from her peers about her child’s lack of a father created a toxic environment that worsened her emotional vulnerability. The shame and isolation she endured confirmed a broader societal issue: the culture of stigmatizing women who do not conform to traditional family norms. This stigma not only affects their mental health but also limits their access to support systems that could provide relief and guidance. November 18, 2024, a Nollywood actress announced the arrival of her new son on social media to the delights of her fans and while this lasted a section of commenters wouldn’t stop to mount pressure in asking who the fathers of the new baby was.
Now that the police have said Blessing will be charged to court, I want to believe the court will not just focus on punitive measures without addressing the underlying stigma that precipitated her action and which may perpetuate a cycle of neglect. Vulnerable women like Blessing are often left without access to mental health services, social support, or resources to navigate their challenges. I shall conclude this piece in the next publication with suggested interventions for family life experts on how to break the silence of social stigma against the vulnerable mothers.
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