Nigerian Man Seeks Help After 54-Year-Old Wife Delivers 11 Babies in Benin Republic

A 56-year-old Nigerian man, Yahaya Nafiu, is appealing for financial support after his wife, Alake Latoyosi, delivered 11 babies in Cotonou, Benin Republic. The extraordinary event has left Nafiu struggling to provide for his large family.

Nafiu, who serves as the Missioner of Ilorin Descendants Progressive Union (IEDPU) in Port Novo, Ajasse, and Cotonou, explained that his 54-year-old wife gave birth to the babies in two separate deliveries. The first set of six babies arrived on August 7, while the second set of five followed just a week later on August 14. Nafiu added, “The birth attendant helped us with the delivery on both occasions.”

The babies included eight boys and three girls, but sadly, two of the girls passed away during delivery. “The remaining nine babies are healthy,” he added. But he expressed concern about the financial burden of caring for them and their mother.

Nafiu recounted the unusual circumstances leading up to the births. “A few days after the first set of children were born, my wife felt strange movements in her stomach. We did a scan at the hospital, and the doctor told us she was still carrying more babies,” he explained.

The family then contacted the same birth attendant who had delivered the first set, and the second set of five babies was safely delivered.

The father of the newborns also revealed that the pregnancy had lasted over three years. And it was a period that they were filled with confusion and uncertainty. He said, “The hospital couldn’t determine the position of my wife’s pregnancy, and the doctors were unable to perform a Caesarian operation.” said.

Nafiu believes that an “evil spiritual influence” might have affected the doctors, preventing them from understanding the situation.

Despite the overwhelming joy of welcoming nine healthy babies, Nafiu admitted that the financial strain is immense. He already had several children before the arrival of the decuplets, and his wife also had children from a previous marriage. The family is now in desperate need of financial assistance to provide for their growing household.

Abdulmumini Abdulmalik, the national president of IEDPU, spoke on the significance of this event. He noted that Nafiu hails from Onikeke Compound in the Popo Giwa area of Ilorin and remarked that history seems to be repeating itself. “About a century ago, after World War I, a woman in Ilorin gave birth to ten babies at once,” Abdulmalik said. The site of that historic event became known as Ita Goma, meaning the arena of decuplets.

Abdulmalik expressed his delight that another Ilorin indigene has made history by giving birth to decuplets. “We rejoice with the Emir of Ilorin, Alhaji (Dr) Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari, during whose reign this glorious history is repeating itself,” he added.

He also joined Nafiu in appealing to the government and the people of the Ilorin Emirate for financial support to help the family care for the newborns and their mother. “This is an uncommon blessing, and we should all come together to support this family in their time of need,” Abdulmalik urged.