Nigerians Watch An Abandoned Baby Cry Herself To Death Because Of Fear Of Police (Photo)

A baby girl, dressed and abandoned by her
mother in a biscuit carton near Eco Bank,
along Ikot Ekpene Road, Uyo, died after
hours of battling for survival.
The baby, who was said to have been
abandoned by her mother at about
11:30pm on Friday, died around 11:58am
on Saturday after many hours of crying for
help.
A resident of the area, Mr. Okon Isaac, told
a Punch correspondent that the baby
became pale after a long period of crying
for her mum’s comfort before passing out.
Isaac said he wanted to check if Total
Filling Station along Ikot Ekpene Road, Uyo
had begun to sell fuel when he heard a
baby cry near the refuse bin, dressed
neatly and dumped in the biscuit carton.
According to him, he was perplexed and
had to suspend buying fuel and kept watch
over the baby since 5:47am thinking that
the mother might change her mind and
come back for the baby.
He stated that the baby’s cry from the
carton drew the attention of a large
number of people.
Isaac added that people were scared to
touch the baby to avoid being accused by
the police of trying to steal or kidnap the
baby.
“I have been here since 5:47am. I wanted
to buy fuel from Total, which only sells the
product when available between the hours
of 4 and 6:20am. After this time, they stop
selling pretending not to have the product.
“As I was passing, I heard the cry of the
baby. I began to wonder where the baby
was crying from. But when I got near the
refuse bin, just off the road, I saw a baby
girl neatly dressed and dumped in a biscuit
carton.
“I could not go to Total in search of fuel
again. I stayed behind to observe if the
mother of the baby might change her mind
and come back for the baby. And before
long, people started to troop in as they
heard the cry of the baby.
“But as we live in a period of child theft
and selling of children for money, people
were scared to touch the baby. They all
stood helpless, should anyone risk lifting
the baby, and the police happen to be
around, the individual can be accused of
child theft, or whatever,” he said.
The Punch correspondent called the police
emergency number to inform them of the
abandoned baby, but the police said they
were aware of the situation and had
contacted the Ministry of Environment for
necessary action.
It was observed that till the baby died,
neither the police nor officials of the
Ministry of Environment were present at
the scene.