For Ariyo Adesanya, a commercial motorcycle rider and part- time student of the Federal Polytechnic, Ado Ekiti, the highest number of babies he was expecting from his pregnant wife, Olufunke, based on her fragile nature and the result of the scan carried out in a private hospital in Ado Ekiti was two.

But it turned out that he was in for a shocker when he learnt that the wife had delivered and the babies were four. Ariyo had gone for his normal business of riding commercial bike, otherwise known as Okada, when the news came that his wife had put to bed at the General Hospital, Emure Ekiti. The man could hardly believe what he heard from the other end of the GSM phone of his caller.

The new father was confused. Many questions like how would he take care of four babies, the unemployed wife, a school certificate holder, and finance his own education must have agitated his mind. He decided to run away from his base in Emure Ekiti.

After the wife had delivered safely, authorities of the Emure Ekiti General Hospital transferred the babies and mother to the University of Ado Ekiti, UNAD, Teaching Hospital for proper attention. The quadruplets and their mother were kept in incubators in the Nursery Unit of the teaching hospital. The chief medical director of Emure General Hospital, Dr Paul Olowoyo, said both the mother and the babies were in good condition after the delivery.

"When the woman came into the hospital, it was very surprising to see her delivered of four babies because, on a normal day, it would be expected that she would fall into labour at 32 weeks of pregnancy, but she was very lucky as she went through less stress to deliver the quadruplets," Olowoyo said.

Corroborating the view of the CMD, the matron of the hospital, Mrs Elizabeth Akinola, who applauded the reception accorded them at the teaching hospital, Ado Ekiti, said both the mother and the babies were "received with open hands". "The CMD, the state Commissioners for Health and Women Affairs, Dr Femi Thomas and Mrs Omotomilola Osunde respectively, as well as other medical personnel were on hand to give them the best of treatment as the quadruplets were immediately put in an incubator to keep them warm as well as oxygen to keep them alive," she narrated.

The babies' parents were, however, relieved of their burden with the visit of the wife of the state governor, Mrs Olukemi Oni, who, in company of the wife of the deputy governor, Princess Yemisi Lawal, presented gifts, including cash to the mother of the quadruplets. Mrs Oni called on the mother to always cherish and treat the quadruplets as special gifts from God and not to see them as a burden but blessings which no man can buy with money, urging her to nurture them in the way of God and always be thankful to God. She also pleaded with the run-away father to return home.

"Please, help me call back the run-away father to come home and take care of his children as expected of him. I pray to God to strengthen the parents to raise helpers for them," the governor's wife stated. Ariyo, who heeded the advice and returned home, narrated his experience to Sunday Vanguard.

"We went to a private hospital in Ado-Ekiti for scan when she usually complained of weakness, and when the tummy was getting heavy, and we were told that she was carrying twins. I initially ran away when I was returning from work (Okada business) in Ado Ekiti and learnt my wife had been delivered of quadruplets. I absconded from home until I heard on the radio and television that Mrs Oni had intervened. But giving me money is not enough. I want you to help me appeal to the government to be kind to me and my wife by giving us jobs so that we can take care of the babies and I can continue my education."

Meanwhile, the doctor in charge of the unit where the babies were being kept at UNAD Teaching Hospital, Dr Ajekigbe Solomon, said they (the quadruplets) have good chances of survival if they get adequate attention, especially stable power supply for the incubator to be on for 24 hours so as to keep them warm always.