The International Federation of Women Lawyers, Rivers State branch, has rescued a two-week-old baby boy who was allegedly abandoned at a shrine in Abua, Abua/Odual Local Government Area of the state.
The Chairperson of FIDA in Rivers State, Tamunoibuemi Life-George, disclosed the development while providing details of the rescue operation on Tuesday.
According to her, the organisation received credible information on June 14 that the infant had been abandoned in front of a local shrine in the community.
She explained that the matter was immediately reported to the appropriate authorities, leading to the successful rescue of the child with the assistance of the police.
“We promptly escalated the matter and secured the rescue of the baby with support from the police,” she said.
Life-George stated that preliminary investigations and interviews with the child’s mother revealed that she had initially left the baby in the care of the father due to her inability to provide basic necessities.
She alleged that the baby’s grandfather, who is the father of the child’s father, later took the infant and abandoned him at the shrine during the night.
The FIDA chairperson said the organisation swiftly intervened after receiving the report, ensuring the safety of the child, the mother and the individuals who assisted in bringing the matter to public attention.
She disclosed that emergency measures taken included securing the infant’s immediate safety, facilitating preliminary medical examinations at the Rivers State University Teaching Hospital and providing welfare support to enable the mother to continue breastfeeding the baby.
According to her, although the infant is currently stable, further medical evaluations are required to guarantee his long-term wellbeing.
Life-George noted that the case is currently being managed at the Rivers State University Teaching Hospital in Port Harcourt.
She appealed to well-meaning individuals, corporate organisations and philanthropists to support ongoing efforts by contributing towards the child’s medical care, diagnostic tests and welfare needs for both mother and child.
When contacted, the spokesperson for the Rivers State Police Command, Grace Iringe-Koko, said she would obtain details from the Divisional Police Officer handling the matter but had yet to provide an update as of the time this report was filed.
The incident has once again drawn attention to the growing cases of child abandonment in parts of the country, a trend often linked to poverty, inadequate social support systems and family-related challenges.