National Legal Adviser, All Progressive Congress, APC, Muiz Banire’s wife, Mrs. Funmi Banire, along with thousands of participants walked to express solidarity with patients with rhesus and create awareness about the affliction among women.
Mrs. Banire flagged off the 6th edition of the awareness walk organised by her NGO, Rhesus Solution Initiative, at Isheri-Oloofin Roundabout in Idimu area of Lagos State and ended it at Ikotun-Igando LCDA.
Speaking at the event, the former Lagos Commissioner’s wife said: “It is often said that ignorance kills, and this act of ignorance has oftentimes resulted into stillbirth popularly called “Abiku” in Yoruba parlance during childbirth among some Nigerian women.
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“In primordial days, Yorubas traditionalists tenaciously held on to the belief that there are some babies that are “Abiku”.
“The stigmatized babies usually die at birth or few days after their births. It’s widely believed then that there is spiritual connection to it, and as such series of sacrifices are done to ensure that the trend stops.
“But to the contrary, medical research has proven beyond reasonable doubt that stillbirth is as a result of rhesus factor in the pregnant women.”
She however, advocated that rhesus negative women must ensured that they took anti-D or Rhogam injection when their pregnancies reached 7 months and before 3 days after childbirth so as to prevent stillbirth or “Abiku”.
Participants in the event tagged “Walk for Life” include, Lagos House of Assembly member, Hon. AbdulSobur Olawale Olayiwola, former Lagos State Commissioner for Education, Olayinka Oladunjoye, former House of Assembly member, Hon. Abdulbaq Balogun, Aremo Michael Ikufisile, Executive Secretary of Mushin LG, Hon. Jide Bello, former Mosan-Okunola LCDA chairman, Hon. Rasheed Mafe, his counterpart in Agege LG, Hon. AbdulKareem Ayodeji, among others.
