A newborn baby girl has been rescued alive after she was allegedly abandoned in a carton in a forest at Ashar, Wuese community, Konshisha Local Government Area of Benue State.
The infant was reportedly discovered on Saturday by a resident, Mrs Mbakasev Yisa, who was said to have heard sounds coming from the carton while passing through the forest.
The baby, believed to have been abandoned shortly after birth, was reportedly wrapped in clothes and left inside the carton for about three days.
Sources said maggots were found around the infant’s body, while a foul odour reportedly emanated from the carton when she was discovered.
A councillor representing the area, Terkumbur Gabriel Mbaukaan, who confirmed the incident on Sunday, said the baby was in a critical condition when she was rescued.
Yisa reportedly alerted the police outpost in the area after discovering the infant.
Policemen were said to have visited the scene, documented the incident and advised that the baby be taken to a hospital for urgent medical attention.
Mbaukaan said he also visited the scene after being informed about the discovery and joined efforts to secure treatment for the newborn.
He explained that the first health facility they approached could not admit the baby because of the severity of her condition.
The infant was subsequently taken to Dooshima Clinic in Wuese, where she was admitted for treatment.
The youth leader of Wuese community, Udigi Waya, also confirmed the rescue, saying available information suggested that the baby may have spent approximately three days in the forest before she was found.
Meanwhile, the Benue State Police Command said it had not received any official report concerning the incident.
The Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Peter Aondongu, told journalists that he contacted the Divisional Police Officer in Konshisha over the matter.
According to him, the DPO said he was unaware of the reported abandonment and rescue of the newborn.
The circumstances surrounding the baby’s abandonment, including the identity and whereabouts of her mother or whoever left her in the forest, remained unknown as of the time of filing this report.