Baby found dead in FCT

The body of a newborn baby was found floating at Unguwar Abattoir following a heavy downpour in Abaji, the headquarters of Abaji Area Council of the FCT. Residents who spoke with Abuja Metro on Monday said the lifeless baby’s body was found around 6:37 pm on Sunday at an erosion site behind a slaughterhouse in […]

The body of a newborn baby was found floating at Unguwar Abattoir following a heavy downpour in Abaji, the headquarters of Abaji Area Council of the FCT.

Residents who spoke with Abuja Metro on Monday said the lifeless baby’s body was found around 6:37 pm on Sunday at an erosion site behind a slaughterhouse in the area.

Mrs. Amina Yakubu, a resident of the area, said she suspects the baby was dumped by an unidentified woman.

She discovered the baby’s body floating and quickly raised an alarm.

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She said that after she raised the alarm, some neighbours quickly mobilized to trace the body, which was found under a large log of wood.

“You know there’s a big erosion site behind the slaughterhouse where I and some other neighbours always dump refuse,” she said.

She added that “On Sunday evening, during the heavy rain, I discovered a baby covered with a cloth floating and I quickly raised an alarm.”

She added that three young men later gathered the courage to enter the floodwater and retrieve the baby.

According to her, two vigilante members who live nearby were alerted to the scene.

“So, two vigilante men later came to the scene and called an official from the environmental department of the council, who then took the body away,” she said.

An official of the environmental department, who was only identified as Danjuma, confirmed the discovery.

He said the newborn baby’s body had been taken to the hospital morgue in the area.

He noted that security operatives had been informed about the discovery and had advised that the body be kept at the morgue pending the discovery of the unidentified woman, after which the body will be buried.

“The police actually suggested that the body should be kept at the mortuary; if possible, after the yet-to-be-identified woman is found, the body will then be buried,” he said.

A police source in the area, who preferred to remain anonymous, also confirmed the discovery.