The Nasarawa State Police Command has confirmed the arrest of a woman who allegedly abandoned her newborn baby in a bush in Akwanga. The Police Public Relations Officer, SP Ramhan Nansel, disclosed this yesterday in Lafia, the state capital.

“The mother of the baby has been identified and arrested. The CP ordered a transfer of the case to the State Criminal Investigation Department, Lafia, for comprehensive investigation and prosecution of the suspect,” Nansel said.

The baby, a girl, was reportedly dumped by her mother in the popular A.A. Koto area of Akwanga town. She was found alive by residents and later handed over to the police.

A resident, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the infant was discovered on Wednesday in a bush near Hope Academy Primary School, Akwanga.

“The baby was wrapped in a cloth and dumped in the bush by her mother, a final-year NCE student of the College of Education, Akwanga,” the eyewitness recounted.

The discovery drew sympathisers from the community, who trooped to the scene. Many expressed outrage and described the act as cruel. They attributed the incident to the growing economic hardship families face.