After seven years of marriage, a set of quadruplets was received by a Deputy Editor-in-Chief of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Lagos, Mr Peter Ejiofor, in the early hours of Thursday.
The quadruplets, all boys, enraptured the father, Ejiofor, who is the head of sports desk, and those who behold them as they were being nursed in the incubators at Crystal Specialist Hospital, Egbeda, a suburb of Lagos.
The babies, who came at 9.24 a.m., are in good condition of health.
Ejiofor said he never lost faith in God during the years of waiting for the fruit of the womb for the family, describing the quadruplets as a miracle from God.
“It is simply a miracle as far as I am concerned. I thank God for the wonderful gifts on a day like this, but we never lost faith in God.
“I always believe that God has something for us because the doctor always assures us that there is nothing wrong with us, so we were patiently waiting.
“I also thank God because their mother (Hannah) is fine and just recuperating because of the caesarean operation she went through; the babies are fine too.
“Although I knew all along about the babies, yet it is a miracle to have them at once, and for those looking up to God for a gift like this, they should trust God,’’ he said.
“I sincerely thank the doctors, nurses, pharmacists and indeed every member of staff of the hospital. God bless them.”
The consultant paediatrician, who took the delivery, Dr Lillian Ndiekwu, also described the birth as a miracle, adding that it was the second delivery of quadruplets within the space of two months in the hospital.
She said: “I am very happy today, I cannot just express my feelings enough; this is what I have been expecting for this past three months now.
“For the records, this is my second time of taking the delivery of quadruplets; they call me doctor of many.
“The unique thing about them is that they are all identical and they came with normal weights. Two of them weighed 1.3kg, one 1.4kg and other 1.5kg.
“It is a good thing to have quadruplets; they are a blessing so people should not be afraid to have them just because of the economic situation of the country.”
Ndiekwu said that from the medical point of view, there was nothing wrong having quadruplets, adding that the challenges would be encountered in the first trimester.
A neighbour of Ejiofor, Mrs M. Oyebade told NAN that the father of the quadruplets is her adopted son, adding her joy knew no bounds on the successful delivery of the boys.
“I thank God for today, we have been expecting this day and we are happy to have witnessed it. For God to have blessed us with four boys, my joy is full.”
Another neighbour, Alhaji Daud Oyebanji, said: “Ejiofor is like a member of my immediate family and we are grateful to God for the gifts.”
NAN reports that the mother of the quadruplets could not be reached as the hospital authorities barred journalists and well-wishers from the ward where she was resting.
