The natives of Bassa-komo, Gbariyamma, Ganagana tribes believe that if a mother dies from childbirth or while nursing a baby, the baby is evil and must therefore be killed by being buried (alive) with the deceased mother. The process of killing these babies involves different methods such as poisoning (with a mixture of deadly plants and herbs), starvation and suffocation.
Other traditional beliefs found to be causes of the practice are related to multiple births, children with albinism, down syndrome, birth defects and even those who grow their upper teeth first. This is coupled with illiteracy and a lack of formal education in many cases and exacerbated by high maternal mortality rates due to poor health practices.
Infanticide remains a practice shrouded in secrecy, about which few community members will speak openly. The babies for sacrifice are crushed and sacrificed to the fertility god for appeasement of the twin spirits and for agricultural bountifulness.
ActionAid Nigeria is in partnership who Vine Heritage Home who began rescuing infants at risk of deliberate killings in area councils throughout the FCT in 2004 and is now the only recognized foster home in FCT dedicated to the prevention of infanticide.
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