A day-old baby wrapped in a polythene bag has been rescued by officials of the Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) at a dumpster while evacuating waste in a street in Ikoyi, Lagos.
Benjamin Hundeyin, Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) in Lagos State, confirmed this on his verified Twitter on Friday.
Hundeyin said at about 10 am on Thursday, LAWMA officials went to the Ikoyi Police Division to file a report on the discovery of the baby.
“The officials reported that they were on their routine duty of moving wastes around the Ikoyi area when they discovered the newly born baby wrapped in a polythene bag,” he tweeted.
“A police team led by the Divisional Crime Officer rushed to the scene.
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“The baby was rushed to Military Hospital, 81 Division, Dodan Barracks Ikoyi for medical treatment before taking the child to Motherless Baby Home.”
According to the police spokesperson, the baby could have died if not for the quick detection by the LAWMA officials.
Hundeyin further said the baby was doing fine, stressing that an investigation into the case has begun.
”Infanticide is a crime and punishable,” he warned.
The police added that Section 327A of the Criminal Code Act in Nigeria states that; “where a woman by any wilful act or omission causes the death of her child being a child under the age of 12 months, amounts to murder.”
“She is guilty of a felony, to wit of infanticide, and may for such offence be dealt with and punished as if she had been guilty of the offence of manslaughter of the child.”
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