Police Begin Probe As Vigilante Rescues Abandoned Newborn
A newborn baby abandoned in a refuse dump in front of Mile 3 Motor Park, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, was early Friday rescued by a vigilante.
It was gathered that the cry of the female child, who was wrapped in clothes and left in the cold, attracted the vigilante who was on a routine patrol around 3am.
The Chief Security Officer of Nkpolu Oroworukwo community, Mile 3 Diobu, under the Diobu Vigilante, Godstime Ihunwo, confirmed the incident to journalists.
Ihunwo stated, “Around 3am on Friday, while on a routine patrol, I discovered a newborn baby, who is less than six hours old. At the point of discovery, the baby was still wrapped in clothes and placenta.
“I rescued the child and immediately called a female nurse for urgent medical attention to be given to the baby. Upon inspection by the nurse, the baby was discovered to be a female.
“I called Mr Prince Wiro, a human rights activist, who immediately came to my office and accompanied me to Nkpolu Police Station to make a formal report.”
The vigilante blamed the incident on the absence of streetlights in most parts of Port Harcourt.
“I want to use this medium to appeal to the Rivers State Government to prevail on the contractors in charge of Ikwerre Road streetlights to ensure the lights are always on at night,” he added.
Also speaking at the briefing, Wiro, who is the Coordinator of the Centre for Basic Rights Protection and Accountability Campaign, condemned the action of the unknown mother, who left the newborn baby.
He advised young females who could not take care of their babies after giving birth to them to seek help by approaching the relevant government ministry rather than throwing the babies away.
When contacted, the spokesperson for the state police command, Grace Iringe-Koko, confirmed the incident.
While noting that investigation was ongoing, she disclosed that the child would be sent to a motherless baby home.
She stated, “On April 28, 2023, around 04.20am, one good Samaritan, a vigilante leader in Mile 3 axis, reported at the station that he found a newborn baby girl alive and wrapped with a wrapper inside a carton and brought the child to the station.
“Effort is on to take the baby to a motherless baby home, while an investigation is still in progress.”
