Khadija Ali, a woman from the Federal Capital Territory, has been arrested for abandoning her newborn baby along a bush path near Crush Rock in Mpape, Abuja. The baby, believed to be just one day old, was found wrapped in a cloth by police operatives from the Mpape Division’s Juvenile and Women Care Section on January 3, 2025.
Upon being discovered, the infant was rescued and taken to Mpape Primary Health Care Centre, where medical personnel confirmed that the child was in stable condition. Following a tip-off from the community, Ali was apprehended and confessed to abandoning the baby, citing her inability to care for the child after her husband’s abandonment.
The incident has been condemned by the FCT Police, who emphasized the grave violation of child rights. Ali will face prosecution under Sections 14 and 16 of the Child Rights Act 2003, and the baby will be placed under the care of the Department of Social Welfare.