Buy one for N1.5m
“Madam, I can help you raise money to pay your hospital bill, if you
can give me your placenta.” This was the statement of a middle aged man
identified as Segun who specialises in buying and selling of placenta.
It was part of a conversation between Segun and a woman, Mrs. Chidera
Okereke who was recently delivered of a bouncing baby boy in a hospital
located in Mafoluku area of Lagos State.
Investigations by Saturday Sun reveal that the trend
which has been going on as secret deals between sellers and buyers is
however assumed an alarming dimensionproportion with the audacity with
which placenta collectors now approach pregnant women to sell their
babies placenta upon delivery. Placenta is an organ which links the
foetus to the mother in mammals for transfer of oxygen and nutrients to
the foetus and waste products to the mother. Mrs. Okereke is one of
those who has had an encounter with the evil merchants.
She told Saturday Sun that one of the collectors of
the human part, Segun approached her with an offer to help her settle
her hospital bill in exchange of her baby’s placenta. Narrating her
experience, she said: “I was outside waiting for my husband who had gone
to source for money to settle my bill, when a man who later introduced
himself as Segun accosted me. He claimed that one of the nurses directed
him to come and meet me that I was in need of money to settle my
hospital bill.
It was then that he told me that he is a placenta collector and that
he would pay as much as N500, 000. “I thought he was joking till he
brought out his cheque book, it was at that point that I started
shouting. He ran away before people started gathering around. He claimed
that he is a regular visitor in the hospital and used to deal with
nurses but in recent times, the families demand their placenta after
delivery.”
Also narrating her own encounter with one of the placenta collectors
on the prowl, a nurse, Patricia (surname withheld) who works in a
hospital at Mafoluku area of Oshodi, claimed that she was actually
offered N2.5million to supply placenta to a certain landlord who lives
close to the hospital. She said: “He is popularly known as Baba Saheed
and owns a house few blocks after the hospital. One day, he called me
and asked me if he can buy placenta from the hospital.
He promised to pay N1.5million for each baby’s placenta; I was
shocked because that was a lot of money. I told him that I was not
interested and he increased it to N2.5million and I still refused. To
convince me, he said that there were so many places he could get supply
but decided to try me since so many women were giving birth in the
hospital.
“On a second thought, I drew the attention of the doctor who invited
him over. He threatened to arrest him but later relented when Baba
Saheed prostrated and started begging for mercy. He claimed that he got
the contract from a big company. Since then it is a matter of policy
that every pregnant woman must go home with her baby’s placenta after
delivery.
Although both cases point to a possible act of illegality, findings
show that placenta is believed by some communities to have power over
the lives of the baby or its parents. Many species of mammals consume
their placentas. Human and animal placentas are also widely believed to
be used as a source of extracts used as ingredients in various consumer
products such as pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, hair care products, health
tonics, and food products other than ritual consumption by the baby’s
mother or family.
In China and Hongkong, the placenta is eaten, a practice known as
placentophagy. It was also learnt that a company in Japan makes a drink
called “Placenta Drink” which contains placenta. The company claims that
“they use the placenta as raw material”, adding that the drink makes
the body’s metabolism active. Medical practitioners who spoke with Saturday Sun
said that due to the fear of those on the loose scouting for the human
parts they now insist that mothers should go home with their placenta
after delivery. Dr Jide Adeleke recalled that it took the grace of God
for him to survive a particular scandal that nearly destroyed his
hospital.
“I had a situation where one of the mothers after two days, came back
to demand her placenta. She claimed that her mother in-law asked her to
collect it back from us. Her argument was that it has been sold out to
someone else. Our saving grace was that the spot where it was buried was
still there and the placenta was exhumed. This is why in the labour
ward it is boldly written, ‘remember to take your placenta.’ Another
Doctor, Steve Maduekwe claimed that they bury them at the request of the
family.
“We normally advise our patients to go home with their placenta. It
is a sacred thing and property of the woman who could either bury it or
dry it up for storage. In others some would ask you to dispose of it. It
is unfortunate and it is also true that it is in demand. I was once
contacted by an individual who wants to use them to produce cosmetics.
He offered good money and I advised him to go and meet the women.”
Mrs. Onolaja, who owns a maternity home in Orile, claimed that she had
been confronted severally to supply placenta and paid huge sum of money.
Onoloja who spoke to Saturday Sun on phone said, “I am a Christian that
is why I will never be party to that act. I was once confronted by a
man who claims to be a representative of a cosmetic company in Lagos.
He claimed that he wanted those placentas to produce hair cream. I
refused despite the amount in question. I always insist that my patients
should go with their placenta. This is so because I cannot vouch for my
staff, they are the ones who will dispose of it. Their offer is always
much and could be tempting.”
Another midwife who also owns a maternity home in Agege said that it
is not a new thing but that most of the collectors approach them with
the excuse that it is used to produce cosmetics. “I have referred
several of them to the nursing mothers. They own the placenta and have
the right to dispose of it as they wish. It is humanly possible that
they use it for ritual.
That is why it is important that every mother should demand her
placenta after birth. In my village each placenta is buried and a tree
would be planted on it in remembrance of that birth.” Also a laboratory
scientist, Professor Sam Sokunbi argued that those collectors could be
using them medically as it is in popular demand. He said “every
production company believes in result and considering the benefits that
could be accrued in the use of placenta, anything can be offered to get
the product especially from a human being.
We cannot pretend that there are no evil men in the world but the
truth remains that there is demand for placenta in Nigeria among the
production companies. All they need to do is to enlighten Nigerians so
that they can willingly offer their placenta for a certain price. We
live in a world which believes so much in spirituality.”
Source: The Sun
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