Buried Baby Incident: How It All Happened

By Chansiline Nanze

On the 10th of April 2022 , images of this young lady who supposedly delivered and buried her baby in Banekane - Bangangte in the Nde division of the west region went viral on social media.

The traditional media followed suite. Despite being a trending story no one bothered to ask few questions.

Was there a baby? Yes

Was there abandonment? Maybe

What about a burial? None

So what exactly happened?

The Ordeal of Internally Displaced 26-year old Tefu Emmanuella began in 2018 in Loum - Mungo division of the Littoral region, when she was impregnated by a young man.

Emmanuella Carry The Baby News Went Viral That She Buried Alive And Was Rescued hours After

They both eloped to Banekane where she gave birth to their first child in September 2019.

In December 2020, the second child came in.

The Second baby was just seven months when Emmanuella took in again.

Why will she keep the pregnancy for 8 months and a week just to abandon the baby? (not abandon per se. )

Emmanuela, native of Kom in the North West region of for the past three years has been the only one feeding her family (husband, two children and herself) with the crumbs she gets as pay for working ("doing Pambe") in farms.

The "husband" on his part contributes nothing to the upbringing of the children and the welfare of his family.

So when the third pregnancy came in, Emmanuella says each time she asks for money for antenatal consultations, he will either threaten her or promise to give her in two week. Money which never came until that April 8th when she put to birth. (we'll come back to that)

Through out the pregnancy she kept labouring in farms for survival. She adds that she had been in labour for two weeks with no medical care and each time she complains of stomach ache her husband or should I say boyfriend will pay a deaf ear.

On her "due date" she was in the farm. Endured the pain because she has four mouths to feed.

In the evening.

8pm, 8th April, the pain became unbearable.

the young lady found a nearby construction site, pushed and received the baby all by herself, then left it there but kept monitoring her child.

She says she knew if she kept the baby, they will all starve to death. So she needed to attract the attention of passersby.

All this while, the husband or should I say boyfriend was nowhere to be found. He returned at 2 am, drunk to stupor. For two days, he didn't notice anything wrong with his wife.

What becomes of the baby and mother?

When the baby girl was rescued on Sunday 10th April, Emmanuella who had been monitoring her baby followed the rescue team to the hospital where she was given medical attention.

She was later arrested but after deliberations by the administrative, judicial and social affairs authorities of the Nde and for the sake of her kids, the 26 year old was freed and reunited with her Loum-based widowed mother.

She has signed an undertaking to ensure the safety of the baby.

Chansiline Nanze (Source : Prudencia Emeka, Divisional Delegate of Social Affairs -Nde )

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