A 26-year-old mother, Ekua Gyasiwa, native of Abura Dunkwa in the Central Region, is in the grips of the police for allegedly abandoning her one-and-a-half-year old son to die in a forest near Adum Banso in the Western Region.
The mother reportedly claimed that she carried out the act because the child was not handsome and so she decided to abandon him to be killed by any of the wild animals in the jungle.
The suspected mother of four also purportedly pointed out that she was no more interested in the marriage with the children’s father and that prompted her action.
According to sources, Ekua Gyasiwa left the little boy with the father at Abura Dunkwa because of some misunderstanding that ensued between them and relocated to a village called K9 near Adum Banso.
However, the mother recently went for the baby, claiming that she had met a man who was ready to take care of the child.
Some of the residents narrated, “Ekua Gyasiwa allegedly gave the child a local gin called ‘akpeteshie’ and took him to the forest and left him there to die.”
The residents indicated that after four days, a farmer in the area visited his farm near the forest and as he was working, he heard the cry of a baby and quickly ran back to inform the elders of the town.
They said the police at Adum Bamso in the Mpohor District of the region acted swiftly to rescue the toddler.
Chief Inspector Edward Addo of Adum Bamso who confirmed the story, indicated that the farmer, one George Minimsaa, who worked with the Benso Oil Palm Plantation (BOPP), discovered the child under a palm tree in the forest.
The farmer later told the police that the child was naked but saw a piece of cloth beside him under the palm tree. He noted that horrified by the scene, he quickly rushed home to inform the community elders who also informed the police.
The farmer then led the police to the forest at a place called K4, an adjoining village where the child was rescued after a short search. There were reported abrasions on his body resulting from his crawling on thorns in the forest for four days.
Chief Inspector Addo pointed out that the little boy was then taken to a local clinic at Adum Bamso where he is currently being cared for.
“A girl who identified the child assisted the police to trace the mother at K9 on the same day, Tuesday, August 2, 2016. The suspect was subsequently arrested and brought to the police station,” he added.
From Emmanuel Opoku, Takoradi