A young lady, Khadija Ali, has been arrested for dumping her one-day old baby on a bush path leading to Red Brick Market in Mpape are of the Federal Capital Territory.
In a statement signed by the Police Public Relations Officer, FCT Command, Josephine Adeh, her arrest followed investigation by the operatives from Mpape Division’s Juvenile and Women Care Section who responded to a distress call and found the baby wrapped in a cloth and dumped along the bush path.
The statement said during interrogation, Khadija Ali confessed to abandoning the baby, citing her inability to care for the child following her husband’s abscondment.
The day-old baby abandoned along a bush path near Crush Rock, behind an uncompleted Red Bricks Market in Mpape was promptly rescued and taken to Mpape Primary Health Care Centre, where medical evaluation confirmed the baby is in stable condition.
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The statement further stressed that the FCT Police Command vehemently condemns the act of child abandonment and reassures the public of its commitment to protecting the most vulnerable members of society.
The rescued baby will be handed over to the Department of Social Welfare for proper care, while the mother will face prosecution according to provisions of sections 14 and 16 of the Child Rights Act (CRA) 2003 upon the conclusion of investigations.
The Command appreciates the cooperation and support of members of the public in this matter and calls on all residents to remain vigilant and report suspicious activities to relevant security agencies.
(Editor: Terverr Tyav)
