Police arrest final-year student for abandoning newborn

The Nasarawa State Police Command has confirmed the arrest of a final-year student of the College of Education, Akwanga, for allegedly abandoning her newborn baby in a bush.

The baby, wrapped in cloth, was discovered on Wednesday near a primary school along AA Koto Street, Akwanga, by concerned residents. Upon finding the infant alive, they quickly raised an alarm and alerted the police.

Confirming the incident in Lafia on Thursday, the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Ramhan Nansel, said the Commissioner of Police has directed that the case be handed over to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) for thorough investigation.

“The mother of the baby has been identified and arrested. The Commissioner of Police has ordered the transfer of the case to the State Criminal Investigation Department, Lafia, for thorough investigation and prosecution,” Nansel told reporters.

The incident sparked outrage among residents of Akwanga, many of whom expressed shock and anger over the abandonment.

This is not the first time such an incident has been recorded in Nigeria. In July 2025, a farmer in Kamba town, Dandi Local Government Area of Kebbi State, rescued a newborn baby girl who had been buried alive on his farmland.

The farmer, Kabiru Kamba, said he noticed an unusual ridge on his farm and called on nearby motorcyclists to help him dig. To their astonishment, they discovered a baby wrapped in cloth and crying, still alive.

Kamba reported the incident to security operatives, and the child was later placed in his custody by the Dandi Local Government Council. Out of compassion, he and his wife, who had recently given birth, took the baby in and even began plans for her naming ceremony.

The growing cases of child abandonment across the country have raised serious concerns among security agencies and communities, with calls for more proactive measures to address the underlying social and economic issues.