Oyinlola Rotimi, a 400 level student of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State, caused confusion on Wednesday, when she was accused of attempting to flush her newborn baby boy down the septic tank.
One version of the incident said Oyinlola, an Electrical/Electronics engineering student, was attempting to flush the baby down the toilet when she was caught by a cleaner early in the morning at Moremi Hall of the institution.
Another version, which described Oyinlola as an Agric Engineering student, said she had gone into the toilet to defecate when she gave birth to the baby.
An eyewitness said, “Mama cleaner just wanted to clean the toilet when she saw blood coming out. I was bathing and all of a sudden I heard her shouting, ‘who is inside the toilet?’ No one responded so I had to come out of the bathroom to be sure that she was not talking to me.
“When I came out, the cleaner had gone to call other cleaners and hall warders. When they came back, the baby was already crying. The warders had to force the door open.
“As the door opened suddenly, we saw that the baby had been turned upside down, with his head inside the closet. One of the cleaner immediately removed the baby from the closet. The baby was still breathing but bleeding from his nose.”
But a medical doctor, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said a pregnant woman, who is not under sedation, would fall into labour before delivery.
The medical doctor, however, said it was possible for a pregnant woman to deliver when attempting to defecate.
Head, Public Relations Unit, OAU, Mr. Abiodun Olanrewaju, confirmed the development, adding that investigation into the case had commenced.
He said, “The case is being investigated. The baby survived, the mother too survived. Both have been taken to the health centre.”
Another student, who spoke with our correspondent said, “Both mother and child were rushed to Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital for treatment. The placenta fell while they were rushing the girl to the hospital.”
