Sympathisers rescue baby from attack by suspected mad mother

Sympathisers on Sunday rescued a baby of about nine months old from his suspected mad mother as she beat him repeatedly on request for food.

The incident occurred on a roadside in Ugwuachara, an outskirts of Abakaliki.

The child’s uncontrollable cry attracted sympathisers.

The suspected lunatic had eaten all the food given to her by individuals without giving the baby boy.

One of the sympathisers, Mr Sunday Ebe, said that the sympathisers had to retrieve the child from the mother to prevent bodily injuries on him.

“We later took the child to Reverend Father Abraham Nwali, the Ebonyi Governor’s Senior Special Adviser on Religion and Welfare Matters, at the Catholic Bishop’s Court Abakaliki.

“The wailing of the child further attracted the sympathy of Reverend Sister Cecilia Chukwu, Executive Director of Succour and Development Initiative, Abakaliki.

“She directed her assistant to give the child warm bath, food, clothing and other immediate needs,” he said.

Nwali while receiving the baby, had inquired of the mental status of the woman to avoid insinuations of kidnapping or child trafficking.

“The people who brought the child to this place should bring the woman to be examined medically and offered medical treatment,” Nwali said.

Nwali later followed the sympathizers to the scene and met the woman sleeping.

He then directed a psychiatric nurse to wake and give her food and water.

After eating, the suspected lunatic was taken to a hospital where she is currently undergoing medical treatment.

Later, the child was returned to her for breastfeeding under the watchful eyes of the hospital’s authorities.