By Rita Enemuru, Reporting
AN abandoned six-hour-old baby left to die in a dump site in front of Mile 3 motor park in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, has been rescued by a vigilante group on Friday morning.
The crying female babe, who was still carrying her placenta, was wrapped with clothes and left in the cold.
Her ceaseless but waning cries later attracted the vigilante men who were on routine patrol at about 3:00a.m.
The baby
The Chief Security Officer of Nkpolu Oroworukwo community, Mile 3 Diobu under the Diobu Vigilante, Godstime Ihunwo, confirmed the incident to journalists.
Ihunwo said after the discovery, he put a call across to a human rights activist, Prince Wiro, who accompanied him to the police station to lodge a formal report.
“At 3:00a.m on Friday, while on 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 Prince Wiro, who immediately came to my office and accompanied me to Nkpolu Police station to make a formal report,” he narrated.
The vigilante leader blamed the development on the absence of street lights 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 street lights to ensure the lights are always on at night,” he pleaded.
Speaking, Mr Prince Wiro, who is the Coordinator, Centre for Basic Rights Protection and Accountability Campaign, condemned the action of the unknown mother who left the newborn to die.
Wiro described the action of the unknown mother as inhumane, callous and barbaric.
He advised young females, who think they cannot take care of a child after giving birth, to seek help by approaching the relevant government ministry in charge of children’s welfare rather than throwing the babies away.
