An 18-month old male child by name Fonyuy was given as surety for a loan of FCFA 15,000 by one Mrs. Lukong Ophilia on June 13 at Mbuluf in Kumbo Central Sub-division, Bui Division of the North West Region. The mother, whose only name was given as Mispa, disappeared after collecting the money.

According to a complaint lodged on June 24, with the Bui Divisional Delegate for Social Affairs, Nkemlebe Tambi John, Lukong Ophilia said 11 days after Mispa collected the amount from her, she had not returned to refund it to collect her baby. According to Ophilia, in asking for the money, Mispa claimed that she needed it to settle her rents as the landlord was threatening to throw her out.

Lukong Ophilia, 42, a divorced mother of seven, has however indicated her intention to keep the baby if the mother does not show up. When contacted on phone by Nkemlebe Tambi John, Mispa, who said her real name was Sharon, admitted entering into the strange deal, but claimed that she collected only FCFA 2,000 and not FCFA 15,000 from Ophilia. She also alleged that Ophilia was obliging her to get married to one of her sons. The matter has been handed over to the police for investigations.

According to the Bui Divisional Delegate for Social Affairs, incidents of child abandonment, men impregnating young girls and then abandoning them for fear of shouldering the responsibility are rampant in Kumbo. He suggested that the only way to deter such offenders is to work closely with security forces to investigate and bring culprits to book.