Medical Experts Dismiss Report of Woman Allegedly Giving Birth to 11 Babies as Fiction

Medical and fertility experts have expressed strong skepticism over recent claims that a woman in Cotonou, Benin Republic, gave birth to 11 babies, labeling the story as medically implausible. The report, which has gained attention, was dismissed as a “fairy tale” by professionals in the field of obstetrics and reproductive health.

Professor Preye Fiebai, an obstetrics and gynecology expert at the University of Port Harcourt and President of the Association for Fertility and Reproductive Health (AFRH) of Nigeria, stated that the claim is impossible from a medical standpoint. “This is one of the most absurd claims I’ve encountered. Medically, pregnancies last no longer than nine months, and delivering 11 babies at once is simply not feasible,” Fiebai said, adding that even in multiple births through In-Vitro Fertilization (IVF), the number of babies is carefully managed to avoid complications.

He further noted that if such an event had occurred, it would be worthy of publication in renowned medical journals like *The Lancet*. “If I delivered a woman with that number of children, I would gladly publish it,” he remarked, suggesting that the story appears more like sensationalism than reality.

Dr. Philip Ekpe, a chief consultant gynecologist and former Secretary-General of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), shared a similar opinion, calling the story a “cock and bull tale.” He emphasized that modern medical technology, particularly ultrasound scans, would detect the presence of multiple babies without fail. “There is no way multiple babies could remain undetected by a scan, regardless of their position in the body,” Ekpe said.

Dr. Ekpe further speculated that the babies could have been sourced through dubious means, suggesting an investigation into the couple. He concluded, “The whole story is fabricated. They likely gathered these babies from somewhere, and in a functional society, such a falsehood would lead to legal consequences.”

The father, Alhaji Yahaya Imam Nafiu, had claimed that his wife, Latoyosi Nafiu, gave birth to 11 babies in two separate sequences over a span of 37 days. He stated that his wife carried the pregnancy for over three years and attributed the unusual nature of the birth to spiritual forces.

According to Nafiu, the first five babies were born on July 7, 2024, followed by six more on August 15. He said two of the babies did not survive, leaving nine healthy children. He emphasized that the pregnancy occurred naturally without medical assistance and referred to the births as a “divine miracle.” However, Nafiu also mentioned the financial strain on the family due to the medical bills and other expenses associated with the unusual births.