'Since I pick her my life don change'- Man narrate how im become di guardian of di baby e find for bin

Tamara Ebiwei

BBC News Pidgin, Broadcast Journalist

Ben-kingsley Nwashara, 27, become papa afta e pick one pikin wey dem abandon along di road for inside Enugu state, Southeast of Nigeria.

Di Law graduate of Enugu State University tell BBC Pidgin say im pick di baby girl for road one night as im dey come back from party wit im friends.

" I don give her name, her name na Testimony"

'Unforgettable June'

Ben-Kingsley Nwashara wey from Ideator North Local Govment Area, Imo State, Eastern Nigeria, no believe say im life go take a new turn on June 15, 2022. E tell BBC Pidgin say im no go fit forget dat day as e narrate how e take happun.

"On dat fateful day I dey come back from party dat night wit some of my friends wen I see somtin for road wey resemble log of wood around past 9pm, my friends tink say na snake, I turn on my phone torch to see wetin dey dia, I surprise to see pikin wey sit down helplessly for di road."

"Wound plenti for her head and craw-craw dey her bodi. Fear catch me as she no shake bodi or make any sound.

"Wen I touch her, I see say she need medical attention sharp sharp, na from dat day I turn papa overnight"

Im tok say im life don change since June 15th and e describe di baby as a gift from God to him.

"Since I pick dis pikin for road my life don change positively, di pikin dey bring blessing to my own life, di pikin don change di way I dey reason, I don dey organise myself now pass bifor."

"If I wake up see di baby dey play or dey sleep e get di kain joy e dey give me inside, I dey happy say di pikin don dey recover and she dey happy"

"Evriday I dey spend money for di pikin head and she deserve am too sake of say she don suffer well-well, she deserve beta life like oda children, Medical Doctors wey dey treat her tok say wetin dis baby don suffer even adult no go survive am" e explain.

Di Imo State born tok say im no get any regret and challenges as im pick dis pikin, instead im dey pray as im go cari her travel around di world like rich men children wen im finish evritin wey im dey do for Enugu State.

E add say im go tell di baby dis tori wen she don grow but im neva know how im go take tell her.

Police and documentation?

Wen Ben-Kingsley finally decide to pick di abandoned baby, e cari her go Agbani Police Station for Nkanu East, Enugu State dat night around 10.30pm to report di mata.

"Di Police women wey dey duty encourage me say dem no go fit do anytin at dat moment, say make I cari di baby go house but make I come back for morning to report officially. Na so I cari di baby go my house"

"I also get invitation to meet di Local Govment Chairman of Nkanu West Local Govment Area, we tok about di pikin welfare, but dem still tell me to hold di pikin for now."

"Dem give me money to add to wetin I get to take care of di pikin. Even di DPO of Agbani Police Station, wia I go report later call me, but im still tell me to be di guardian of di baby.

"E give us police to escort us and im dey call evritime to check weda I dey okay.

"Even orphange wey dem call to help us no agree, dem tok say dem dey fear say di pikin fit die for dia hand sake of di condition she bin dey wen I pick her"

"Na my girlfriend help take care of her dat night until she sleep. I rush her go hospital di next day, I buy baby food and clothes, money wey comot from my pocket reach 150,000 naira.

"Di children doctor say she go dey for Intensive Care Unit so dem fit monitor her well.

"Sake of say I wan dey for her, and e go affect my job I get to resign." e explain

'We dey live for society wey no care again'

Di Law graduate say im want oda young pipo to learn now to dey selfless from im tori, sake of say we dey live for world wey be say pipo no dey care for each oda again, even dia closest neighbour.

"For dat place wey I pick dis pikin, pipo dey see am evriday dey waka pass, market women dey dia, married men and women but nobodi care, some pipo wey dey around dat night encourage me to cari di pikin, dem tell me say di baby don dey dia for days and dem no go fit tell me to leave di pikin dia to die if I wan cari her"

"Once no be your pikin, or family member nobodi care again, na di kain society wey we dey" e tok

"Young pipo suppose learn say e dey good to do good, and I pick di pikin to save her life because of God and God dey bless me well well sake of dis good tin I do", Ben add am.

As di number six pikin out of seven, Ben-Kinsley raise hand for im family as dem support am to save di life of di baby girl. E say im mama and im elder broda dey pray for am as dem hear di tori,

Im add say, like say im family no support am, im for still dey di good wey im mind tell am to do.

"My family dey happy say I do dis kain good tin for anoda pesin pikin, and for anoda man land wey no be wia I come from.

"If dis baby grow become woman tomorrow, I be her papa and she be my pikin, I go become proud papa wey im daughter wan marry, becos I go train her for school, she go enjoy evritin her mates dey enjoy, na me go collect her bride price".

Ben follow tok say na woman wey go accept her as her daughter im go marry wen time reach to settle down, becos as e be so, na im first pikin be dis, if di real owners no show face at all.

"Anybodi wey I wan marry tomorrow, I go first explain to di pesin say I get pikin already, I believe say I no go marry pesin wey no dey kind, meek or humble enough to accept dis pikin"

"I go marry pesin wey go accept dis pikin I pick for road, woman wey go support me take care of dis pikin di way mama and papa go do"