A 59-year-old man, Mr Ziworitin Keke, has allegedly
cut off part of the genitals of his eight-month-old
grandson while circumcising the boy at Ondewari, a coastal
settlement in Bayelsa.
The News Agency of
Nigeria (NAN) learnt on Thursday that the baby is currently receiving medical
care at the Federal Medical Centre, Yenagoa, the Bayelsa capital.
It was learnt that
Keke, a well-known `specialist’ in circumcision in the area,
almost “chopped off half of the baby’s genitals.”
The father of the
infant, Mr Joseph Michael, said his wife took the infant to a health
centre following the incident.
“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 specialised medical
care, adding that he was in financial distress as he could not afford the
cost of treatment.
Michael urged public
spirited individuals to come to his aid to save the life of his son.
Reacting to the
incident, Mr Alagoa Morris, a human rights activist, told NAN that the incident
would have been avoided if government had provided health facilities to rural
communities.
“My first concern is
with the baby going through the terrifying pain. 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 including two
older brothers of the victim.
“This must have been a
mistake. More than 1,000 circumcisions have been performed by him without any
complication.
“So, calls for his
arrest are misplaced. A lot of residents in the community have no access to
medical facilities and they believe and resort to traditional medicine men,
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.
Meanwhile, the
International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA) in Bayelsa has called for the
arrest and prosecution of Keke.
Mrs Dise
Ogbise-Erhisere, Chairperson of FIDA in the state, who made the call after
visiting the victim at the medical centre, said they had petitioned the office
of the commissioner of police on the matter.
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