By Fatima Saka
ABUJA — After 14 years of waiting, miscarriages, medical consultations, prayers and painful disappointments, Hon. Rufus Alele, a Senior Legislative Aide to Senator Joseph Ikpea Igiagbe, and his wife have welcomed their first child, a baby boy, whom they named Igiagbe in honour of the senator.
Alele said the decision to name the child after his principal was in appreciation of the support, encouragement, prayers and financial assistance the couple received from Senator Ikpea and his wife, Mrs Evelyn Ikpea, during their long journey to parenthood.
In an emotional testimony titled, “My Life, My Story: For Fourteen Years, My Wife and I Carried a Pain No One Could See – Until God Changed Our Story,” Alele described the birth of his son as the end of a painful chapter marked by repeated miscarriages and years of uncertainty.
“For the first time in fourteen years, I am holding my own child in my arms,” he said. “For the first time in fourteen years, I have heard the cry of a baby that belongs to my wife and me.”
According to Alele, he and his wife got married in May 2012 with hopes of raising a family, but their journey to parenthood proved far more difficult than they had imagined.
He said the couple endured years of hospital visits, laboratory tests, medications, medical consultations, fasting and prayers, while several pregnancies ended in miscarriage.
One of their darkest moments came in 2021 when his wife lost a pregnancy that had reached five months.
Seeking improved medical care and a fresh beginning, the couple relocated from Benin City to Lagos on December 28, 2021. However, the painful losses continued, including the miscarriage of a twin pregnancy.
Alele also recalled the emotional toll of insensitive comments from people who questioned why the couple had remained without children, with some allegedly advising his wife to leave the marriage.
The turning point in their journey, he said, came when he eventually opened up to Senator Ikpea about their prolonged struggle.
According to Alele, the senator listened to him, offered words of comfort, prayed with him and assured him that he and his wife would one day become parents.
He said Senator Ikpea later arranged for his wife to meet Mrs Evelyn Ikpea in Warri, where she received further encouragement, prayers and emotional support.
The couple were also connected with medical specialists and received financial support running into millions of naira to aid their treatment.
“Looking back today, I see more than human kindness. I see the hand of God working through compassionate people,” Alele said.
Their breakthrough came towards the end of January 2026 when his wife became pregnant again. But because of their history of miscarriages, the news was received with both excitement and fear.
Weeks later, Alele said his wife began bleeding and they rushed to the hospital. After a scan, a medical staff member reportedly told them that the baby was alive.
He said both he and his wife broke down in tears.
Because the pregnancy remained delicate, his wife stayed under close medical supervision until she eventually gave birth to their son.
Alele said the period tested him emotionally, spiritually, mentally and financially.
“Every day my prayer remained the same: ‘Lord, preserve my wife. Preserve our child,’” he recalled.
After 14 years of waiting, the couple’s prayer was finally answered with the safe arrival of their baby boy.
In gratitude, Alele and his wife named their son Igiagbe in honour of Senator Joseph Ikpea Igiagbe, whom they said stood by them during one of the most difficult periods of their lives.
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Reflecting on the journey, Alele said, “His silence was never His absence. While we were waiting, He was working.”
He urged couples still waiting for the fruit of the womb not to lose hope, saying their experience had taught them the importance of faith, perseverance and the support of compassionate people during difficult moments.
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