A woman, whose identity has been withheld, has been arrested for abandoning her one-day-old baby along a bush path near Crush Rock, behind an uncompleted Red Bricks Market in Mpape, Abuja.
During interrogation, the woman confessed that she abandoned the baby due to her inability to care for the child after her husband deserted her.
The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command confirmed the incident. Police Public Relations Officer SP Josephine Adeh stated that operatives from the Mpape Division’s Juvenile and Women Care Section (JWC) rescued the baby on January 3 after receiving a distress call reporting an abandoned infant wrapped in cloth.
The baby was immediately taken to Mpape Primary Health Care Center for medical evaluation, where it was confirmed to be in stable condition. The mother was later arrested following a tip-off from the community and admitted to abandoning the child.
SP Adeh condemned the act of child abandonment and reaffirmed the police command’s commitment to protecting society’s most vulnerable members. She added that the baby would be handed over to the Department of Social Welfare for proper care.
The mother will face prosecution under Sections 14 and 16 of the Child Rights Act (CRA), 2003, after the conclusion of investigations.
The police commended the public for their cooperation in rescuing the baby and urged residents to remain vigilant, reporting any suspicious activities or emergencies to the command through its dedicated emergency lines:
08061581938
08032003913
08028940883
CRU: 08107314192
PCB: 09022222352
The FCT Police Command continues to prioritize the safety and welfare of all residents, particularly vulnerable children.
