Woman abandons baby by culvert, disappears

Daniel Atori, Minna

   

An unidentified woman dumped a new born baby girl at a culvert along Kuta Road, opposite Central Mosque in Minna, Niger State.

The New Telegraph gathered that the baby was brought before the Niger State Child Right Protection Agency in Minna on Tuesday by a Good Samaritan, Hajiya Fatima Adamu.

According to the woman, the baby was wrapped in a wrapper and dumped by the road side close to a culvert and was discovered by passers-by.

Adamu narrated: “I was called to the scene by my neighbours. When I got to the scene, I saw people gathered where the baby was dumped. I was told that an unknown woman got down from a motorcycle, dumped the baby by the culvert, returned to the motorcycle and zoomed off. I noticed everybody was afraid to touch the baby. It was children playing outside that told us they saw a woman, got down from a motorcycle and dropped something by the culvert and that the something was moving. It was the children that immediately informed their parents and the parents raised the alarm.”

Adamu explained that with the assistance of a vigilante member in the area, she picked up the baby and went to report the matter at the Central Police Station, Minna.

She further stated: “The policewoman, who was on duty, collected the baby and promised to bring the matter before the Child Right Agency. This agency treats issues that have to do with children and women’s welfare.”

The policewoman, Mrs Hassana Usman, confirmed that the baby was brought to the station by Adamu and a local vigilante member.

Usman also noted: “When they came to the station with the baby, I noticed the baby hadn't been given a bath since her birth. It was as if the mother gave birth to her and immediately dumped her. I appealed to a woman that lives close to the station to assist me with hot water. I bathed the baby because she had been left in the cold and was not doing too well. I had to take her to hospital. The baby has been under my care since that Saturday night that she was brought to the station.”

The Director General of the Niger State Children Right Protection Agency, Mrs Mariam Kolo, appealed to members of the general public to assist the agency with useful information on the identity of the mother of the baby.

"We’re calling on anyone, especially those living around the area that knows any woman who was pregnant and recently delivered in the last three days and hasn't been seen with a baby to report to our agency. This is to enable us identify the mother and bring her to justice," said Kolo.

While commending the Good Samaritans for saving the life of the baby, Kolo assured members of the public that the agency would work with the Police and the Ministry of Women Affairs to investigate the matter.