Genitals of eight month
old baby boy cut off during circumcision in Bayelsa
Residents of a coastal
settlement have expressed surprise as 59-year-old step-grandfather, Mr.
Ziworitin Keke, 'erroneously' cut off half of the genitals of an
eight-month-old during circumcision,
It was gathered on
Thursday the victim, a step-grandson to Keke is receiving medical care at the
Federal Medical Centre in Yenagoa, Bayelsa capital.
It was gathered
that the incident happened at Ondewari , a rural community in Southern Ijaw
Local Government Area of the state.
Keke was said to be
circumcising the baby boy when he inadvertently chopped off half of his
genitals.
Community sources
expressed surprise at the development given the reputation and track record of
the 59 year old who has been circumcising infants in the community for many
years without any incident.
Mr Alagoa Morris, a
human rights activist while reacting to the incident said that he was moved by
the excruciating pains being undergone by the infant.
“My first concern is
with the baby going through the hearth chilling pains, the man who performed
the circumcision is a renowned traditional circumcision expert in the community
and even beyond.
“He has successfully
carried out the service at no cost to parents for many years incuding two elder
brothers of the victim and this must have been a mistake, more than 1,000
circumcisions have been without any complication.
“So calls forhis arrest
is misplaced, a lot of our community residents have no access to medical
facilities and they believe and resort to traditional medicines, traditional
birth attendants inclusive.
“It is imperative for
the state and local governments to join forces and make orthodox medical
service available to rural dwellers in the coastlines and riversides, only then
will the people have a choice,” Alagoa said.
The father of the
victim, Mr Joseph Michael, said that the incident had thrown him into financial
distress as he cannot afford the cost of medical services adding that his wife
had taken the child to a health centre following the mishap.
"After cutting
off my boy's penis, the man who is married to my son’s grandmother told my wife
to leave the child with him for at least three weeks so that he could treat him
very well.
“But my wife refused
because the boy was bleeding and she rushed him to the health centre at
Korokorosei a neigbouring community to us.", he said.
He explained that they
were referred to the Federal Medical Centre Yenagoa for specialized medical
care.
Michael urged public
spirited individuals to come to his aid to save the life of his son.
Meanwhile, the
International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA) in Bayelsa has called for the
arrest and prosecution of Ziworitin.
Dise
Ogbise-Erhisere, chairperson of FIDA in the state, who made the call after
visiting the victim at the FMC with some non-governmental organisations, said
they had petitioned the office of the commissioner of police on the matter.
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