Enugu first lady awards scholarships to children ‘abandoned by mother’ at police station

The Enugu government has taken custody of three children who were abandoned at a police station by their mother.

The woman was said to have been crushed to death after she ran into a moving vehicle at Ogui Road in Enugu.

Following the incident, Nkechinyere Mbah, wife of the governor, visited the police station where she met with the children.

During the visit, Nkechinyere announced scholarships for the three children through her non-governmental organisation, the Custos Care Foundation.

The first lady also directed the relocation of the children from the police station to a home where the state government would take care of them.

The governor’s wife said her foundation would not allow the children to suffer or their future hampered by the event.

“This is a very sad news and my heart goes out to these children. To be stripped of a mother’s love at the early stages of their lives is heartbreaking. But it has happened. So, what we will do going forward is to ensure that they are not stranded in life; that they do not lack quality education, and that their future and destinies are not truncated,” she said.

“So, for now, we will move them into a secure residential facility where they will receive adequate care. The Custos Foundation will also sponsor their education from primary to university. We have to be there for one another.”

The governor’s wife spoke on the importance of mental health awareness and urged persons struggling with depression and related challenges to seek assistance and counselling, saying there was nothing to be ashamed about.

She urged the Enugu ministry of children, gender, and social development and its counterparts across the country to step up their mental wellness advocacy.