When Mrs Alake Latoyosi Nafiu, 54, went to her birth attendant on July 7, 2024, she did not bargain for what she got: 11 babies delivered in two sequences over a 37-day period.
The birth of the children was as mysterious as their conception, as their mother carried them in her womb for over three years before the birth attendant delivered them.
In an interview with LEADERSHIP Weekend, her husband, Alhaji Yahaya Imam Nafiu, 56, a Nigerian from Kwara State but based in Ajase, Port Novo, Cotonou in Benin Republic, stated that he hails from Onikẹkẹ Compound, Popo Giwa, Ilọrin, Kwara State, while his wife is from Ajase in Cotonou, Benin Republic.
Nafiu, an Islamic scholar, confirmed that two of the babies died during delivery and that the remaining nine are hale and hearty. He mentioned that Latoyosi is his third wife and had two children for him before the recent births. He added that the two senior wives also have children with him.
Contrary to insinuation, Nafiu said the babies were conceived naturally and not by any technology-assisted means.
The Islamic cleric also revealed that the pregnancy lasted over three years, with the children delivered on July 7 and August 1, 2024. According to him, efforts to determine the state of the pregnancy were unsuccessful in the hospital, as medical doctors were unable to perform a caesarean section, which he attributed to spiritual forces obstructing their efforts.
Nafiu said a birth attendant managed the delivery of the babies in two instalments. The first set of deliveries occurred on Saturday, July 7, 2024, while the second set was delivered on August 14, 2024.
He explained, "A few days after the delivery of the first set, the mother noticed strange movements in her stomach. Upon visiting the hospital and undergoing a scan, the doctor revealed that she was carrying another set of babies. This led us to contact the initial birth attendant, who then delivered the next set of five babies."
Nafiu explained that Latoyosi gave birth to eight males and three females, with two of the girls dying during childbirth.
He expressed that he saw God's miracle in how the birth attendant delivered the children. However, he lamented the financial constraints the family is facing due to the substantial costs associated with caring for the babies and their mother.
"One major challenge we are now facing is raising money for the marriage rites, which are very expensive, as well as for medical bills and a police report," he said.
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When our reporter visited Nafiu's family home in Onikeke Compound, Popo-Giwa, Ilorin, his elder brother, Alhaji Zakariyau Nafiu, confirmed the children's birth.
He said, "Yahaya was born and educated in Ilorin before moving to Cotonou about 10 years ago. Alake is his third wife and had two children with him before this incident, in addition to the children from the other wives. Two babies have died, leaving nine, and we hope to avoid further fatalities."
He added that they had informed the Emir of Ilorin, Alhaji Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari, and other relevant authorities about the situation. "We want them to come home, but that is challenging given the current family situation," he said.
Another family member, Alhaji Isiaq Onikẹkẹ, appealed to the federal and state governments and well-to-do individuals to assist the family, stating, "We can't handle this on our own. This is the first time such an event has occurred in the family; the highest we have previously had was a set of twins."
