Residents of Maitumbi in Minna, the capital of Niger State, rescued a new born baby left for dead inside a soakaway (septic pit).

The residents said they heard the baby cries coming from the septic tank in the early hours of Tuesday making them to go closer to investigate and they found the baby in the process.

The newborn baby was found naked inside the pit making the residents to enter inside to bring out the baby. The baby still had its placenta uncut when it was rescued.

The women in the area gathered to get warm water, soap, sponge and a basin and bath the child who was crying profusely. After bathing the child, they wrapped him in a clean dry cloth and took the child to the primary health care center in Maitumbi.

No one could tell how long the child had been left in the soakaway and no one could remember seeing anyone dropping anything inside the soakaway.

“It came as a surprise to us all. Who would carry a child for nine months and just abandon the child. The child is a newborn baby. I am not sure that child is up to six hours before he was dropped. Thank God we were able to rescue him”, one of the residents, Daniel Gabriel said.

The residents have called for swift intervention by security agencies and relevant authorities to investigate and find out who the mother of the child is and ensure the safety of the child.

Abandonment of infants and related tragedies involving children in soakaways, refuse dumps, or other unsafe locations have occurred periodically in Minna and other parts of Niger State over the years. Past incidents have involved newborns dumped shortly after birth or young children who went missing and were later found in such pits, often prompting community mourning and police probes.

Authorities, including the Niger State Police Command, have not yet issued an official statement on this specific report.

At the primary health center, the baby was said to be healthy and had no effect of being placed in the septic tank. (The Nation)