The Nigerian mother who gave birth on a warship after the Italian navy rescued her from a migrant boat said Nigeria is the worst place to be.
Nigeria is even worse than war-torn Libya, Stephanie Samuel, the 24 year old woman said.
Stephanie Samuel was among the 6,800 people rescued last week off the Libyan coast, as her boat made the dangerous trip to Europe. She was put on the Italian Navy vessel, Bettica, where she delivered a baby daughter.
Her daughter weighing 3.37 kilos has been named Francesca Marina, after St. Frances and the Italian navy. Stephanie calls her ‘Gift’.
According to Reuters, Stephanie, said her new daughter would have a better life in Europe. And she has had a proof of that. Before she delivered the baby a week ago, she suffered from epileptic seizures, at the same time that she went into labour. She was put in intensive care. Her baby too was put in an incubator, since Stephanie was not expecting her when she came.
Both mother and daughter have now fully recovered.
Doctors at the Sicilian hospital said they would probably be transferred to an immigration centre for families with small children in a few days time.
Stephanie said she worked for two years in Tripoli as a housemaid to save money to pay smugglers for the trip, but then the boat she set off in with about 90 others stalled after only three hours at sea.
“I didn’t expect the baby, you know, but she just like, she just came,” Samuel said. “I just wanted to leave Libya. Italy is better than Libya and Nigeria is the worst.”
About her daughter, she said: “God decides, not me … but I believe she will have a more good future in Europe.”
Her story underscores the crass irresponsibility of Nigerian leaders, who enjoy the luxury of office, instead of channelling state resources for the benefit of the people.
Thousands of Nigerians have joined the desperate move to Europe via the back door, all in search of jobs and hopefully a better life.
So far this year more than 30,000 people have reached Italy by sea from North Africa, mostly Libya. More than 170,000 came last year. The Interior Ministry has said 200,000 might make it to Italy’s shores in 2015.
While many are political refugees like Syrians, fleeing civil war, or Eritreans, escaping forced military conscription, others like Samuel are economic migrants in search of a better life.
She said her husband, who is still working in Libya, was ready to risk the sea crossing to be with his daughter and wife as soon as he could afford to pay smugglers who demand up to $1,500 for passage on an overcrowded, rickety boat.