The Federal Capital Territory Police Command has rescued a one-day-old baby and arrested the mother for dumping the child in a bush after she was allegedly abandoned by her partner.
“The FCT Police Command informs the public of the recovery of a day-old baby abandoned along a bush path near Crush Rock, behind an uncompleted Red Bricks Market, Mpape,” said the command’s spokesperson, Josephine Adeh, in a statement on Sunday.
According to the statement, operatives from Mpape Division’s Juvenile and Women Care Section responded to a distress call at about 10 a.m. on Friday, and found the baby wrapped in a cloth.
“The child was promptly rescued and taken to Mpape Primary Health Care Centre, where medical evaluation confirmed the baby is in a stable condition. Following a tip off from the community, the baby’s mother, Khadija Ali, was arrested. During interrogation, she confessed to abandoning the baby, citing her inability to care for the child following her husband’s abandonment.”
The command said that the baby would be handed over to the Department of Social Welfare for proper care and the mother prosecuted according to the provisions of sections 14 and 16 of the Child Rights Act (CRA) 2003 upon the conclusion of investigations.
The command, while reiterating its commitment to protecting the most vulnerable members of society, appreciated the cooperation of the public, urging them to remain vigilant and report suspicious activities.
