A 52-year-old herbalist ended his life tragically as he committed suicide yesterday in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital. The herbalist, Kamoru Gbogbolegbo took his life after the controversy which trailed the delivery of a baby boy in his maternity home in Oke-Ido, Abeokuta North Local Government area of the state capital.
The controversy had led to the detention of the late herbalist at a police station at Ibara for five days. He regained his freedom on Sunday only to take his life in the early hours of yesterday.

His lifeless body was found by one of his wives with whom he passed the night before committing the dastardly act.
Gbogbolegbo had used an empty drum to aid his hanging on the ceiling with a rope in his bungalow which curious residents has turned into a Mecca of sorts.

Before his death, Daily Sun learnt that Kamoru had allegedly committed a criminal act by giving a baby boy who he delivered of a woman last week to another woman.
One of his neighbours further told Daily Sun that one of his customers had brought the wife of her son to the herbalist for ante-natal.

“Gbogbolegbo was a popular herbalist in this area who also operates a maternity home. We learnt one of his customers had paid him to take care of her sister-in law who successfully delivered a baby boy sometime last week.
“We learnt that after the successful delivery of the woman, the herbalist exchanged the baby for money by giving him to another woman who was not pregnant, but was amonghis client.

“After the naming and celebration by the fake mother, the genuine mother of the new born baby was said to have accosted the fake mother and challenged her about the maternity of the baby she was carrying about.
It was further gathered that the genuine mother also accused the herbalist of selling his baby boy to another mother.
‘’After much pressure by the genuine mother, the herbalist was said to have told her that the baby boy she delivered died at birth and had been buried.
The allegation of selling a baby was said to have led to the arrest of the late herbalist who was subsequently detained for few days before his release on bail on Sunday.

As people thronged the area to catch a glimpse of the late herbalist, many of his colleagues have described his death as courageous.
A senior herbalist in the council area who spoke with Daily Sun on condition of anonymity said: “He has died a courageous death. It is better to die honourably than allow his image which he built for several years to be dragged to the mud. No matter what anybody or group says, he has behaved well by taking his own life.

“We can’t deny him in death. He was one of us. In spite of the circumstances that led to his death and how he died, we shall accord him the necessary rites so as to prevent re-occurrence of such among us.”
Meanwhile, the police from the Ibara Divisional Police Headquarters had removed his body from the ceiling and laid it on his bed where people struggled to catch a glimpse before his burial later in the day.


http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/news/national/2011/oct/18/national-18-10-2011-008.html

“We learnt that after the successful delivery of the woman, the herbalist exchanged the baby for money by giving him to another woman who was not pregnant, but was amonghis client.

What is this newly found baby sale in Nigeria?