In a shocking and disturbing scam, women in Nigeria are being preyed upon by fake medical practitioners who promise them “miracle fertility treatments” and “cryptic pregnancies.”
The scam, which has been investigated by BBC Africa Eye, involves convincing women that they are pregnant, despite no actual pregnancy occurring. Chioma, a Nigerian woman, is one of the victims of this scam. She claims to have carried a child for 15 months and even produced a baby boy named Hope.
However, her husband’s family does not believe that Hope is their biological child, leading to a heated dispute. The commissioner for women affairs and social welfare in Anambra state, Ify Obinabo, has been tasked with resolving the dispute.
During a meeting with Chioma and her husband, Ike, the commissioner expresses skepticism about Chioma’s claim of carrying the child for 15 months. Chioma’s desperation to become a mother led her to seek out unconventional treatment. She visited a “clinic” that offered a “miracle fertility treatment” guaranteed to get her pregnant. The treatment, which cost hundreds of dollars, consisted of an injection, a drink, or a substance inserted into the va*gina.
Women who undergo this treatment are warned not to visit conventional doctors or hospitals, as no scan or pregnancy test would detect “the baby.” When it’s time to “deliver” the baby, women are told that labor will only begin once they are induced with a “rare and expensive drug,” requiring further payment. The accounts of how the “delivery” happens vary, but all are disturbing.
Some women are sedated only to wake up with a Caesarean-like incision mark. Others say they are given an injection that causes a drowsy, hallucinatory state in which they believe they’re giving birth. Either way, the women end up with babies they are supposed to have given birth to.
The scam preys on women’s desperation to become mothers, often fueled by social pressure and the fear of ostracism or ab_se. Nigeria has one of the highest birth rates in the world, and women often face intense pressure to conceive.
The commissioner’s office is working to resolve the dispute between Chioma and her husband’s family. However, the underlying issue of the cryptic pregnancy scam remains a pressing concern.
The Nigerian government and health authorities must take action to prevent these scams and protect vulnerable women from exploitation.
