Enugu law graduate, Benkingsley Nwashara, shared his account of a distressing incident involving the rescue of a 2-year-old girl abandoned by her mentally-ill mother in Enugu State. Nwashara recounted how, in June 2022, he discovered the child in a dire state at a market in Agbani town, located in Nkanu West Local Government Area of the state, following heavy rainfall. Shockingly, despite the presence of market women, no one had extended any assistance to the suffering child.
Nwashara revealed this disturbing experience on Sunday, October 1, 2023, in response to a post concerning policewomen. He described a disheartening encounter with three female police officers who allegedly declined to provide aid when he brought the child to the police station.
He lamented, “I regret to share that three female police officers on duty that night at the station where I sought help for this innocent child told me they could not offer any assistance and advised me to take her away. All three of them were in their 40s and mothers themselves.”
Nwashara expressed his gratitude for the intervention of the Divisional Police Officer (DPO), a Yoruba man he encountered the following morning. The DPO not only directed one of the female officers to accompany them to various hospitals for urgent medical attention but also provided his personal car and driver for two days.
He recognized the officers’ apprehension but emphasized the expectation that, as law enforcement professionals, they should be aware of immediate actions to be taken for a critically ill child. Despite the risks involved, he had taken the dying baby to his one-room apartment.
Nwashara further commented, “Some of the female officers displayed a marked lack of compassion. They expressed empathy verbally but were utterly unresponsive to the urgent needs of a dying child.”
To cope with the situation, Nwashara had to call a female friend to assist him that night. He confessed to having no prior experience in caring for a child but managed to provide essential care, including giving the baby more than eight satchets of water that night. The child experienced frequent diarrhea, adding to the challenges of that difficult night.
