A 54-year-old Nigerian woman, Alake Latoyosi, recently gave birth to 11 babies in Cotonou, Benin Republic, following an extraordinary pregnancy that lasted over three years. This remarkable event has garnered widespread attention and prompted reflection on historical precedents.
Latoyosi, along with her 56-year-old husband Alfa Yahaya Nafiu Latoyosi, experienced a unique sequence of events. The first set of six babies was born on August 7, followed by a second set of five on August 14, 2024. Unfortunately, two of the girls did not survive the delivery.
Medical professionals faced challenges in monitoring and managing the pregnancy due to difficulties in determining the babies’ positions. Despite these hurdles, Latoyosi successfully delivered the babies with the help of birth attendants, which Nafiu has described as a miracle.
This event has been compared to a historical occurrence in Ilorin, Nigeria. Abdulmumini Abdulmalik, the national president of the IEDPU, pointed out a similar case from nearly a century ago when a woman in Ilorin gave birth to decuplets after World War I, setting a regional record. This recent birth of 11 babies is being seen as a modern echo of that historic event.
Abdulmalik has called for the government and community of Ilorin Emirate to provide financial assistance to Nafiu and his family to support the care of the newborns and their mother. The Emir of Ilorin, Alhaji (Dr) Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari, was also recognized for his involvement in this extraordinary event, highlighting its historical significance and communal impact.