Abandoned two-day-old baby found in Edo IDP camp

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A suspected two-day-old baby has been dumped within the premises of the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camp, in Uhogua, near Benin, in Ovia South West Local Government Area of Edo by an unknown person.

Confirming the report to journalists in Benin City, the Camp Coordinator, Pastor Solomon Folorunsho, said the baby is in dire need of breastfeeding.

According to Pastor Folorunsho, an unknown person dumped the baby at the camp’s woods, which is an entrance into the camp on Friday at about 11 am.

He said that the baby, presently under medical care at the camp health facility, was dumped by the person with a note.

“We discovered the baby who is about a day or two old at our woods on the entrance into the camp.

“The baby was dumped with a note which read ‘please help me take care of him. I cannot take care of him, because I don’t have anything and I don’t want to kill him also, so he is your own please’.

The coordinator said that the development had been reported to relevant authorities as well as security agencies in the State.

He, however, appealed to the mother of the child to be confident enough to come out, adding that the child is in need of breastfeeding.

“I encourage the mother of the child to come out and not be afraid, if not for anything so that the baby can be given breast milk, while we solicit support for them.

“Or we could mobilise to raise and rent a house for her (mother), help with food and other things since she said the reason for her action is because she cannot take care of the child.

“If she has support, I am sure, she will be able to take care of the baby. If the woman will be there, we will be supporting the child.

“But in the absence of that, we are ready to take care of the child and train him like other children here, because some children we have here were brought in here quite young, though this is the youngest.”

Folorunsho also appealed to well-meaning Nigerians to assist the child with baby clothes, food and other nutrition items.

“While we take care of this child with the nurses we have here and our staff, we appeal to well meaning Nigerians to assist the child.

“Because we definitely need help in terms of baby clothes, baby food, and other nutritious things the child needs,” he said.

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