A FIFTY-four-years-old Nigerian woman, Alake Latoyosi, has given birth to 11 babies in Cotonou, Benin Republic.
The births took place in two batches, with the first set of six arriving on 7 August, while the second came seven days later, on 14 August.
The babies included eight boys and three girls, but two of the girls passed away during delivery.
According to the husband, Yahaya Nafiu, in a report by Premium Times, the pregnancy lasted over three years before the delivery.
Nafiu, 56, who is the Missioner of the Ilorin Descendants Progressive Union (IEDPU) in Port Novo, Ajasse, and Cotonou in the neighbouring West African country, said the hospital was unable to determine his wife’s pregnancy position, which prevented the doctors from performing a Caesarian section.
Nafiu added that he already had several children before the babies arrived, and his wife also had children from a previous marriage.
The birth has now led the husband to seek financing support to cater for his babies and the mother.
Noting that the remaining nine are hale and hearty, Nafiu said he struggled to meet the huge financial cost of caring for them and their mother.
“A few days after the delivery of the first set of children, my wife said she felt strange movements in her stomach. After a scan was carried out at the hospital, the doctor revealed that she was carrying another set of children, which led them to contact the initial birth attendant, and the next set of five babies was delivered”, Nafiu was quoted as saying.
This is coming about a month after Nigerians contributed over N4.2 million to the family of one Sodiq Olayode, whose wife, Abiodun, recently gave birth to a set of quadruplets.
A colleague of Olayode, identified as James, tweeting as #jamysax on X, shared the news on Wednesday, July 24.
James’ post on X would later attract significant attention from netizens, with many commenting on the difficulties of raising young children, following increasing hardship in Nigeria.
They eventually crowdfunded for the family.
Usman Mustapha is a solution journalist with International Centre for Investigative Reporting. You can easily reach him via: [email protected]. He tweets @UsmanMustapha_M