Man who took responsibility for abandoned baby speaks after woman came out to claim child as hers

Mr Okorom Ifeanyi has reacted after a woman claimed the abandoned baby he rescued is hers. 

The woman, identified as Naomi, claimed the baby found in a bush is her baby. She insisted she recognised the baby by the red patch on her face, her nose and her full hair. She claims the hospital where she gave birth on May 9, 2025, told her her baby was de@d and they buried the child on May 10. Now, seeing the abandoned baby online, she claims she’s certain it’s hers. read here

“I’m not mistaken,” she told LIB. 

However, when LIB reached out to Mr Ifeanyi, he stated that the baby was found at about 3 p.m.on February 20, 2026, with the placenta still attached. The hospital the baby was taken to confirmed it’s a newborn baby, not more than a couple of days old. The baby could not have been born months ago. 

He told LIB: “I am not desperate for a child. I have three children: two girls and a boy. If I wanted to adopt, I’ll adopt a boy. But here’s a girl that the world wants to deny a good life. I want to adopt her and ensure she’s safe.” 

He explained that his wife, who is a foreigner and a medical doctor, was the one locals called when they found the baby and she took the baby to the hospital. At the hospital, they were told that if they had delayed for 20 more minutes, the baby would have been de@d. 

When the police were informed, they arrived at the hospital but made no move to claim the child. 

He said if he had been told immediately by police that the baby was the government’s child, he would have handed over after seeing that the baby is alive and well. However, he said the authorities did nothing while he paid for the child’s admission, treatment, incubation stay, oxygen and purchased other necessary baby items. He also donated his blood for the child. 

He added that they fought for days to keep the baby alive. 

“Maggots were removed from the baby’s ears from that Friday till Monday. That child suffered. Nobody slept,” he told LIB. 

He added that now that the child is recovering in hospital and he wants to officially adopt the child, he is being fought and frustrated from every angle. 

He added that his legal counsel warned that things like this would happen. 

“I am not desperate for a child,” he reiterated. “Anyone who wants to claim the child should approach me through the appropriate means provided they are not lying. But if they are lying, I will sue them.” 

As for the woman claiming the child is hers, he said: “If she’s willing to do DNA, If she proves herself well and her story is true,  my wife and I will be glad to release the child. But if it’s a game the police are playing…”