Day-old baby found alive in Anambra gutter after heavy downpour

A newborn baby was on Saturday found inside a gutter in Awka, the Anambra State capital, TopNaija reports.

An eyewitness told our correspondent that the baby who was abandoned in the gutter by an unknown person was picked after an early morning downpour in the area.

The incident, it was gathered, occurred at Abuja Estate near Government House, Awka. The state Police Public Relations Officer, Haruna Mohammed, confirmed the incident.

He said a Good Samaritan resident in the area reported the incident to the police around 8.25am on Saturday.

Mohammed said,” On Saturday at about 8.25am, a Good Samaritan resident at Abuja Estate behind NSCDC office Awka reported at B Division Police Station Awka that on the same date at about 7.30am, a day-old baby boy was wrapped up in a cloth and abandoned inside a gutter at same area by an unknown person.

“All efforts made to trace the mother of the baby proved abortive. The scene was visited by police operatives attached to JWC and the baby who is in good health condition was rescued and handed over to Time to Fort Care specialist medical centre Awka for safekeeping.”

He said the Ministry of Social Welfare children and women Affairs had been contacted and the baby would be handed over to them for proper care. The PPRO said efforts were ongoing to trace the mother of the baby to unravel the circumstances surrounding the incident.