On June 15, a 27-year-old graduate of Law, Benkingsley Nwashara, rescued a two-year-old child who had been abandoned by a mentally-ill mother in Agabani town, Nkanu West LGA, Enugu State.
Ben Kingsley Nwashara is a 27years old law graduate from the Enugu State University of Science and Technology, Agbani Campus in Enugu State
He was on his way back from a party at night when he came across something that looked like a log of wood on the road but when he came closer he realised that it was a child sitting helplessly on the road with dirty clothes on.
This happened in Agbani town, Nkanu West Local Government Area, Enugu.
Then he asked around the neighbourhood and he was told that the child belonged to a mentally ill woman who stayed around the area but the mentally ill woman has not been around for about three days and the child has been alone
At around 10:30, the policewomen on duty told him that there was nothing they could do so he took the child home and was asked to bring her back the next day
What did the police say?
It was almost 10.30 pm or so and the policewomen on duty told me that there was nothing they could do that night. They encouraged me to take the child home and come back
So he took the child home and took care of her, bought some baby wears and food for the child
They took the child to the hospital the next day and were told that the child needed urgent medical attention and was admitted to the intensive care unit
He said;
“I had to make sure I was there for her. Since I knew it would affect my job, I told my boss that I would need some time off. Later on, I just tendered my resignation. This child, for now, is my priority. I have to be with her 24/7, so I am sure she is okay”
He also added that he had to hire someone to help him take proper care of the child
It has not been easy taking care of the child because it has had a strain on his finances but people have also supported him.
He also got the local authorities involved, he went to the local government chairman to involve him
When asked if anyone has come to claim the child, Ben-Kingsley said no one have come to claim the child and he even reached out to some orphanage homes but they rejected the child because of her medical condition
“All I have in my mind is to revitalise that child and make sure she is alive”, he said.
He also added that the government needs to do more to make sure that we don’t have these cases of neglect and abandonment anymore.
