Bauchi couple who welcome triplets, worry over parenting

Sa’idu Aliyu and his wife have welcomed triplets in Bara community, Bauchi State, bringing the couple’s number of children to six.

Aliyu, a 27-year-old small-scale farmer, said he was happy to receive what he called a gift from God. But the unexpected birth has also left him worried about how he will support the family. He said farming was his only source of income and that it was not strong enough to meet the needs of so many children.

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Although I am happy to welcome this gift from God, I am also worried about how to provide for the family. I already have three other children and now a triplet.

“Although I am happy to welcome this gift from God, I am also worried about how to provide for the family. I already have three other children and now a triplet,” Aliyu said. People visited the healthcare facility to celebrate with the family, but he said he remained conscious of the responsibilities that came with raising three newborns at once.

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We never expected triplets. They are a surprise to us, but we are delighted to have them.

Hafsat Sa’idu, the children’s mother, said the triplets came as a surprise. “We never expected triplets. They are a surprise to us, but we are delighted to have them,” she said.

Hadiza Abubakar, a volunteer midwife at Bara Primary Healthcare Centre who assisted with the delivery, said the couple arrived on time and that the mother and babies were healthy and strong. She added that the mother would need help caring for three newborns simultaneously. Abubakar described the family as poor and appealed to philanthropists and other well-meaning people to provide support for the triplets and their three older children.

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Both the mother and infants are healthy and strong. But as with giving birth to one child, the mother certainly cannot raise them alone. She will definitely need a helping hand.