A heartbreaking incident unfolded in Abuja on January 3, 2025, when a newborn baby was discovered abandoned along a bush near Crush Rock, behind the uncompleted Red Bricks Market in Mpape. The police have since arrested the child’s mother, Khadija Ali, who confessed to abandoning her baby due to severe financial and emotional difficulties.
According to the Public Relations Officer of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command, SP Josephine Adeh, the baby, just a day old at the time, was found wrapped in cloth and left vulnerable in the cold. Residents who stumbled upon the infant alerted the authorities, leading to a swift rescue operation. The baby was immediately taken to the Mpape Primary Health Care Centre, where medical staff provided necessary care. Thankfully, the child was declared to be in stable condition.
SP Adeh explained that Khadija Ali’s actions stemmed from a desperate situation after her husband abandoned her. She cited an overwhelming inability to provide for the baby’s needs as the reason for her actions.
“This is a tragic example of the challenges some women face, especially when abandoned by their partners,” Adeh said. “While we empathize with her hardship, abandoning a child is a serious offense under the Child Rights Act, and justice must take its course.”
The case has drawn attention to the harsh realities of poverty and abandonment affecting many families in the region. Social commentators and advocacy groups have called for increased support for women and children in distress.
The rescued baby has been handed over to the Department of Social Welfare for continued care and support. Meanwhile, Khadija Ali faces charges under sections 14 and 16 of the Child Rights Act, which criminalize child abandonment. Investigations are ongoing, and the mother is expected to appear in court soon.
This incident has sparked widespread discussions about the need for stronger social welfare systems in Nigeria to prevent similar occurrences in the future.
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