Dead Baby Found In MAPOLY

The corpse of a two week-old baby boy was found within the premises of Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, Abeokuta, Ogun State, Southwest Nigeria on Tuesday as government raised the alarm over the increasing number of abandoned children recovered in the state within two months.

It was a gory scene near the 1,000 seater hall building at the state-owned polytechnic at Ojere, Abeokuta, as the corpse of the baby was found in the bush and termites had feasted on its body. Many of the polytechnic students besieged the scene.

Eyewitnesses suspected that the baby might have been dumped in the bush by one of the female students of the institution.

Confirming the incident, the MAPOLY Public Relations Officer, Mr. Sulaimon Adebiyi said, the management will not issue an official statement until an investigation had been concluded.

Adebiyi said: “the security operatives are on top of the situation and until they come up with their findings, we cannot say anything for now. But , I can confirm the incident.”

Lamenting on the spate of abandoned children across the state recently, the state Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Mrs. Elizabeth Sonubi disclosed that over 43 abandoned children have been recovered and they are in the custody of government.

Mrs. Sonubi who betrayed her emotion while speaking with our correspondent, condemned the act which, according to her, was barbaric and against the will of God and rule of law, citing an example of a 10-day old child who was recently recovered where he was abandoned because he was blind.

Mrs. Sonubi, while reacting to the latest abandoned baby in MAPOLY: “it is disheartening hearing this again, many abandoned babies are around the state. As I am talking to you, over 43 children are at Stella Obasanjo Home in Abeokuta.

“These are lives that we cannot give, anyone who finds such babies should bring them to us in Abeokuta or any of the many motherless babies’ homes across the state.

“ When you are pregnant and you know you cannot take care of it, it is better you don’t abort the baby, because you don’t know what the baby will become in future or abandon the baby after giving birth. It is barbaric and against the will of God and rule of law”, Sonubi counselled.

—Abiodun Onafuye/Abeokuta