Police arrest mother for ‘dumping’ newborn in FCT bush

The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) police command has arrested Khadija Ali for allegedly dumping her one-day-old baby in a bush.

In a statement on Sunday, Josephine Adeh, FCT police spokesperson, said the command recovered the abandoned baby along a bush path in Mpape.

The police spokesperson said operatives responded to a distress call at about 10am on Friday and found the baby wrapped in a cloth.

She said the neonate was promptly rescued and taken to the Mpape Primary Health Care Centre “where medical evaluation confirmed the baby is in stable condition”.

During interrogation, the mother reportedly confessed to “abandoning the baby, citing her inability to care for the child following her husband’s abandonment”.

“The rescued baby will be handed over to the Department of Social Welfare for proper care while the mother will face prosecution according to the provisions of Sections 14 and 16 of the Child Rights Act (CRA) 2003 upon the conclusion of investigations,” the police spokesperson said.

Adeh asked the public to remain vigilant and report suspicious activities while reiterating the command’s commitment to protecting vulnerable members of society.