Partner of refugee mother found dead beside baby starving for days says it’s a ‘miracle’ 1-year-old survived

Eric Nnanna, the 30-year-old partner of the asylum-seeking mother Mercy Baguma, who was found dead next to her starving son in Glasgow, UK, has described their child’s survival as a “miracle” according to the Daily Mail. Their 16-month-old son Adriel was found on the cot beside the deceased body, completely starved. 

A couple of latest pictures of Nnanna and his son Adriel shared by the publication show the father-son duo to be doing well as Baguma’s partner recounts the horrific experience with her death. Nnanna had been to Baguma’s on August 22. He only heard the baby’s cry but received no other response. He alarmed the police, who on entering the flat found Baguma dead and Adriel so weak from "days of starvation" that he couldn’t stand on by himself on the cot, say reports. 

Recollecting the time when the cops discovered Baguma, he said, “When they opened the door they said I shouldn't come into the flat. They said they saw Mercy's body lying in her hallway and Adriel was in his cot. He was found there by them. When my mind takes me back there I cry. I don't know how to express that.”

In a heart-wrenching statement, he further adds, “'There was no strength. When I held him I was feeling his spine, his bones and then his nappy, the babygrow that he was wearing was all stained with blood. It was something that I just can't imagine. He couldn't even stand. Adriel when he sees me he is always shouting 'Daddy, daddy, daddy' and I would go and carry him and lift him up.”

“'But he couldn't even recognize me. It is a miracle he survived,” Nanna expressed of the one-year-old before adding, “I don't know where he got the strength from, to cry, because he had been there for so many days.”

Nnanna had reportedly been around the house only two days before the tragic discovery and, on not receiving any response from the other end, he assumed Baguma might have moved to a different house as she was allegedly planning to. Baguma and Nnanna were living together at the beginning of the lockdown with Adriel as one happy family. 

Following Baguma’s demise, a Home Office spokesperson said in a statement, "This is a tragic situation and our condolences go to Ms Baguma's family. The Home Office takes the wellbeing of all those in the asylum system extremely seriously, and we will be conducting a full investigation into Ms Baguma's case." 

According to the Daily Mail, Nnanna has refused to accept claims that are suggesting Baguma died of starvation. He said, "There was a lot of fake news going around, the part where they said she starved to death was entirely wrong.” He received £35 ($47) a week from the government as support and the rest was managed with donations from charities and their church. 

“Asylum seekers and refugees do not get a lot of support from the government but there are charities that help. To say that Mercy died of starvation or hunger is wrong - there were people there to help,” Nnanna added further. Although they were financially constrained, they prepared Adriel’s baby food from scratch. 

Baguma originally came from Uganda. She was reportedly unable to find work due to her asylum situation. Meanwhile, Nnanna came to the UK in 2008 to pursue studies at Aberdeen University.