Residents of Naraguta community in Jos North Local Government Area of Plateau State have rescued a newborn baby boy abandoned in an uncompleted building at a mining site.
The baby, who was found with his umbilical cord still attached, was discovered along Ardo Lane on Sunday, October 18, after children playing near the building heard his cries and alerted residents.
A resident, Lukman Yusuf Wayas, said he first heard the baby crying at about 11 p.m. on Saturday but assumed the sound came from a neighbouring household where a woman had recently given birth.
According to him, the children heard the cries again the following morning and alerted his family, who immediately contacted security operatives. The baby was subsequently taken to a hospital for medical attention.
Wayas said he later returned to the scene with a health worker, where they discovered remnants of the placenta, suggesting that the baby had been delivered at the location.
Reacting to the incident, the Chairman of the Elders’ Association for Angwan Rogo, Rimi, Zinaria and Sabon Layi, Alhaji Yusuf Wayas, called on parents to pay closer attention to their families and ensure the protection of vulnerable persons in their communities.
Similarly, the Ardo of Yanjin, Aliko Sa’adu, disclosed that similar incidents had occurred in the community in the past. He called for a thorough investigation to establish the circumstances surrounding the abandonment and identify the baby’s mother.
Sa’adu said the matter had been reported to the relevant authorities, adding that the newborn’s safety and welfare should remain a priority as investigations continue.
Efforts to obtain comments from the Plateau State Police Command were unsuccessful, as its spokesperson, Alfred Alabo, could not be reached by telephone on Monday.
