Woman dumped in septic tank by trafficker struggles for survival

Residents are yet to come to terms with the bizarre incident of a breastfeeding mother, Mrs Chizoba Eke, who was found in a septic tank after three days in an uncompleted building at Iguwurita, Ikwere Local Government Area of Rivers State.

The woman is currently struggling for survival as she has been transfused with a unit of blood and needs more to live.

This happened as a senior police officer, Moses Egbede, DCO of Afam Division, Rivers State command, was abducted, killed and dumped in a well by his kidnappers after collecting ransom.

Mrs Eke was abducted from her home on August 17 by a baby trafficker who threw her into a septic tank after whisking her six-month old baby away.

After several cuts on her head and body, the abductor assumed she (Chizoba) was dead and threw her into the well but luckily, after spending three days inside the pit, police officers with the help of residents rescued her, a situation many medical experts have described as a miracle.

The trafficker, who kidnapped the baby, was arrested at Omerelu on his way to Imo State to sell the baby.

The Guardian’s findings from the hospital in Port Harcourt where she is receiving treatment showed that she may need more blood to recover from her deteriorated condition, but sadly, there is no money to meet with such hospital demands.

Mrs Eke was sighted lying on the hospital bed and still looked weak. She can barely stand or sit without assistance. She still can’t talk; even when she manages to speak, no one hears or understands what she says.

While speaking with The Guardian, the husband, Mr Eke E. Eke, said: “I have bought one blood unit and the doctor has transfused it. She still can’t sit or stand, but we have hope that she will survive.

“Due to this ugly development, the baby was abruptly stopped from breastfeeding and would also need more blood but the major challenge is finance. There is no money to get all the hospital needs to work on her. Only our church and some few persons are helping us with some items.”

Mr Eke called on the police to ensure that justice is done on the matter by bringing the perpetrator to book to serve as deterrent to others.

Meanwhile, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Nnamdi Omoni, who confirmed that the police had arrested the suspect and recovered the baby, said the command would brief the public on the update this week.

However, a consultant pediatrician at Rivers State University Teaching Hospital and Chief Medical Director of Oasis Children Specialist Hospital, Dr Appollus Josiah, said the woman maybe unable to talk for now because of fear and low blood sugar level following starvation.

Josiah said: “Abandoning someone with such condition in a pit for three days can shut down a lot of enzymes. For not eating food, the sugar level will go down and she can as well suffer brain damage.”