Posted by By Henry Chukwurah, Port Harcourt. on
To her neighbours in Rukpoku, a Port Harcourt suburb, she was just another easy-going woman. But ask Mr. Kenneth Nwokoro-Akpamba and his wife, Blessing who reside in the neighbouring Rumuopara village and they would tell you that Vivian Amadi is better described as a heartless joy killer. Their reason? She came to them as an evangelist and few days later, disappeared into thin air with one of the couple's days-old twins.
To her neighbours in Rukpoku, a Port Harcourt suburb, she was just another easy-going woman.
But ask Mr. Kenneth Nwokoro-Akpamba and his wife, Blessing who reside in the neighbouring Rumuopara village and they would tell you that Vivian Amadi is better described as a heartless joy killer.
Their reason? She came to them as an evangelist and few days later, disappeared into thin air with one of the couple's days-old twins.
The good news though, is that few days later, the child thief who had gone to her church to dedicate the baby she claimed was hers, got arrested.
Narrating the incident in an interview with Daily Sun, Mr. Akpamba said his wife delivered the twin baby boys at Amexy Clinic, Rumuokoro near Port Harcourt on October 13, this year. The two bundles of joy, the first children of the couple came via caesarian operation and the high bill was far beyond the reach of Mr. Akpamba, a casual farm labourer.
He said it took the assistance of his church, The Church Worldwide Ministries, Rumuokoro and the Saint Jude Catholic Church at Rukpoku, to raise part of the needed funds. It was at this stage that Vivian emerged at the Clinic on October 16, and introduced herself as an evangelist who visits hospitals to pray for patients.
For a man whose heart was troubled because of cash squeeze, the coming of the so-called woman of God was timely and the couple welcomed her whole-heartedly.
"On one occasion, she brought food to us and we were grateful. At times, she would stay late with us in the hospital".
But the Akpambas were later to realize that they had an agent of the devil in their midst when on Octobers 23, Mrs. Akpamba and her babies were discharged.
"She offered to help us carry one of the babies while I carried the other one because my wife still had the stitches and was very weak.
"When we got to the main road where we were to get a taxi, the nurse who accompanied us offered to go in search of a taxi drop (charter)for us while my wife and the woman sat on a bench we found there. After a long time, the nurse was not forthcoming, and worried, I gave the other baby to my wife and went to look for a taxi.
"It was when I returned that I was told that the woman pretending to be going to look for me, suddenly disappeared with our baby".
Luckily, divine help came the way of the couple few days later when with the help of the police at the Rumuokoro Police Station, words came that there was a woman who went to a church to dedicate a child and some of her co-worshipers and neighbours wondered when she became pregnant.
As it turned out, the suspect also lived in another part of Rukpoku and it did not take long to trace her and the baby.
According to Mr. Akpamba, neigbours of the suspect stated that she had informed her people at Isiokpo that she gave birth to a baby boy and was about taking the baby to her country-home for another round of celebration before she was arrested.
A joyous Mr. Akpamba expressed gratitude to God for the return of their child and urged the authorities to do whatever they deem fit to the source of what had become a heartache.
"Our joy is that we have found our baby. We look up to God to help us out because for now, my wife who used to hawk cooked rice cannot do that business for some time to come and I have no steady means of earning money for the family's upkeep".
The couple thanked the churches and other individuals who rushed to the rescue with the funds for settlement of part of the medical bills and purchase of some of the immediate needs of the babies. They appealed for help from philanthropic organization and individuals.