By Desire Emmanuel
A prophetess and a woman who presented herself as a midwife have been arrested by men of the Ondo State Police Command following the death of two pregnant women at their facilities during deliveries.
Sadly, the two babies given birth to by the women also died shortly after birth.
The command disclosed on Sunday, April 19, that the two cases were reported at two towns in the state, Akure and Emure Ile.
In the first incident, reported on April 16, a lady informed the police that her brother, Mr. Lawal Bawa, received information concerning the death of his wife, Mrs. Blessing Bawa, who went into labour at a private residence in the Gloryland area, off Ado Road, Akure.
The residence was said to be owned by one Elizabeth Aremu, who presented herself as a midwife and carried out delivery process.
During the course of the delivery, the pregnant woman was said to have developed complications and died before she could be transported to a medical facility in the town.
Following the report of the incident, police operatives visited the scene where the body of the newborn baby was discovered wrapped in a sack, prompting the arrest of the alleged midwife.
In the second incident which occurred on April 11, a man reported at the police station that his girlfriend, Jennifer Sunday, aged 20 years, was taken to a church in Emure-Ile due to labour pains. The prophetess of the church, whose name was given as Blessing Efiong, undertook the delivery.
However, things went awry during the delivery as the newborn baby died, while the lady later died on the way to the hospital following complications.
The police operatives also visited the church and arrested the prophetess
“In both cases, detectives from the command have commenced thorough investigations. The remains of the mothers and the babies have been deposited at the State Specialist Hospital, Akure, and the Federal Medical Centre morgue respectively,” the command said in the statement.
“The Ondo State Police Command assures the public that diligent investigations are ongoing to unravel the circumstances surrounding these tragic incidents and to ensure that all persons found culpable are brought to justice,” the statement added.
The two women are expected to be charged to court at the conclusion of the investigation by the police.
