Sympathisers on Sunday rescued a nine-month boy from being killed by his mother, suspected to by a lunatic, eyewitnesses said.
The witnesses said the mother pummelled the boy because he tried to get some food and water from her, while she was eating and drinking.
The incident occurred at a roadside in Ugwuachara on the outskirts of Abakaliki, where the child’s persistent cry attracted sympathisers.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) learnt that the woman ate food and water given to her by someone and refused to give the child.
Witnesses said when the child tried to grab some, the mother beat him instead and his cry attracted passers-by.
One of the sympathisers, Mr Sunday Ebe, told NAN that the situation forced some sympathisers to the scene retrieve the child from the woman to prevent the baby being injured.
“We later took the child to Rev. Fr Abraham Nwali, the Ebonyi Governor’s Senior Special Adviser on Religion and Welfare Matters, at the Catholic Bishop’s Court, Abakaliki.
“The frantic wailing of the child further attracted the sympathy of Rev. Sr. Cecilia Chukwu, Executive Director of Succour and Development Initiative, Abakaliki.
“She directed her assistant to give the child a warm bath, food and provide him clothing and other immediate needs,” Ebe said.
NAN reports that Nwali while receiving the baby, inquired about the mental state of the woman to avoid insinuations of kidnapping or child trafficking over the incident.
“The people who brought the child to this place should bring the woman to be examined medically and offered medical treatment,” he said.
Nwali later followed the sympathisers to the scene and met the woman sleeping.
He asked a nurse to wake the woman and give her food and water.
The woman was later taken to a hospital for medical treatment while the child was returned to her to be breastfed under the watchful eyes of hospital staff. (NAN)