The heavily pregnant woman, Chika Elekawachi, who was allegedly attacked by three policemen has lost her baby, according to Sun News. We have reported earlier on how the eight-month pregnant lady was brutalized and stripped naked by three police officers even at the police station.
It was reported that when she started bleeding, she was rushed to the hospital where she was made to deliver prematurely in order to save her life and that of the baby. Her baby was put in an incubator but he died under 48 hours.
“Take me to my son, I want to see him”, Chika Elekawachi pleaded with family members who were still lost in thought on how to break the news of the death of her baby. Chika is the eight-month pregnant woman who was allegedly brutalized by three policemen attached to the Satellite Police Division in Lagos on Sunday, July 19. The policemen allegedly stripped the woman naked after accusing her of resisting arrest.
At the hospital, the doctor on duty, Okoawo Innocent, who spoke on behalf of the management, admitted that Chika was rushed into the hospital half conscious. He said all necessary tests were carried out, noting that the results showed that the baby was intact. He, however, said that the victim would be kept under observation.
Saturday Sun gathered that Safe Hands hospital was one of the best in the area but in an attempt to please the policemen who were battling to prove that Chika was actu¬ally pretending to be in labour, they corroborated their claim.
The doctor on duty despite the bruises and the fact that Chika was brought into the hospital unconscious, said that she was perfectly okay. He even suggested that Chika should be released to her family to go home.
Battle to save Chika and baby’s life
But the doctor’s assertion was proved wrong, as Chika soon after started bleeding. As a result, the doctor on duty became confused and requested that another scan be conducted. He was shocked to discover that the placenta had been detached from the baby and Chika was bleeding heavily inside. To save her life and that of the baby, she was wheeled into the theatre where the baby was forced out of her.
The Satellite police station DPO was alerted that the story had changed. It dawned on him and some senior officers that Chika’s story could be true as the officers involved in the assault had sworn that they did not raise a finger against her. The officers involved who were seen going about their normal duty were immediately arrested and detained.
Realising that it was not business as usual, policemen were mobilized to ensure that the ever busy Badagry expressway was cleared to ensure free access to Outreach medical hospital where the premature baby could be put in an incubator. The little one who was already weak as a result of the delay died less than 48 hours after.
Chika’s relative told Saturday Sun that at about 4am on Thursday, Chika called insisting that they should go and check her baby. “I told her that it was too early but she kept insisting that I must move over to the hospi-tal that something is wrong. It was then that my phone rang again and it was the doctor. She told me that the baby had just passed on. It is rather unfortunate,” she said.
On getting to the hospital, senior officers, including the Satellite DPO, were seen leaving after sighting the dead baby and consoling the family. He was said to have been supportive and promised that the suspects would be prosecuted accordingly. He was said to have pleaded with the family members that the police would pay the bill incurred by the family.
On the cause of death, Dr. Efunbu Dosekun of Outreach Hospital, who spoke with Saturday Sun, explained that the baby had breathing problem which they battled all through the night to control. “It is rare for a premature baby to survive because there must have been a problem that led to the child being born earlier. When he was rushed in to our hospital, we did all we could to save his life.
“The best thing is for the family to go for an autopsy to have a clear understanding of what really happened. Chika’s placenta detached from the baby and the unborn child was breathing on its own inside his mother’s womb. We thank God that Chika did not bleed to death before the doctors on duty discovered that”, she stated.
She advised that proper medical check-up should be done on Chika to correct the damage that could have been done.
Take me to my son, Chika insists
Back to Safe Hands Hospital where Chika looked well and happy. She told her sisters that she wanted to be relocated to the hospital where her baby was. “Take me to my son. I need to see my son. Police did not succeed in taking him away from me. I am so happy. I will take him abroad to see his father”, she stood up pacing around frantically trying to pick her bags.
As at press time, she had, however, been informed of the death of her baby and transferred to another hospital for proper medical examination. “She has not stopped crying. Our major concern at the moment is how to save her life. We had to transfer her to another hospital that is not under the jurisdiction of Satellite police station. It appears that the doctors are afraid of the police, that is why they lied. If our sister did not start bleeding from her virginal, she would have bled to death. We thank God for her life,” one of the relatives who spoke to Saturday Sun on phone said.
They will be prosecuted if found culpable –Police
Confirming the incident, Lagos State Police Command spokesman, Kenneth Nwosu, a deputy superintendent of police (DSP), assured that investigation was ongoing to ascertain what actually transpired. He said the suspected policemen had been arrested and were in detention, adding that they would be prosecuted according to the law guiding the force.
“The Nigerian police has a procedure which will be followed in ensuring that the suspects will be disciplined”, he added.