Newborn baby found abandoned in Benue forest

A good Samaritan has rescued an abandoned newborn baby girl alive near Ashar forest at Wuese community in the Konshisha Local Government Area of Benue State.

The baby, who was said to have been wrapped up in clothes and kept in a carton by an unknown person, was picked up on Saturday, August 29, 2026, by one Mrs Mbakasev Yisa, with maggots allegedly found around the baby and a foul smell emanating from the carton.

An eyewitness and a councillor who identified himself as Terkumbur Mbaukaan told journalists on the phone in Makurdi, the state capital, on Sunday, that the baby was in an extremely critical condition when she was rescued and immediately evacuated to Dooshima Clinic in Wuese for medical attention.

The councillor narrated that the passerby, Yisa, first discovered the abandoned newborn in the forest and immediately reported the situation to the police outpost situated in the area.

He said, “As a councillor representing the area, I visited the scene to personally assess the situation and ascertain the condition of the abandoned child.

“So, when the policemen came to the scene, they carried out necessary documentation of the discovery and equally directed that Mrs Yisa take the baby to a medical facility for urgent medical attention. And because the baby’s condition was so critical, the first clinic we approached could not admit the child.

“We later took the baby to Dooshima Clinic in Wuese, Konshisha LGA, where she is being treated and fed with glucose and NAN infant formula as medical personnel work to stabilise the infant.”

He said tests have been conducted to ensure the baby is healthy. However, she remains under observation at the hospital’s Intensive Care Unit after being exposed to harsh external conditions immediately after birth.

“I have made a financial donation towards the child’s upkeep and appealed to the medical personnel to ensure that the infant receives continuous and effective treatment.

“I am using this opportunity to appeal to individuals, humanitarian organisations, community leaders, government agencies and other people of goodwill to support the baby’s treatment and welfare.

“We are managing the situation at our own level as a community. We have even told those police officers attached to the police outpost here in our community not to take the matter to the Divisional Police Office in Tse- Agbaragba yet, because we are following up the matter; we’ll do our best to ensure that the newborn baby gets well. I’m also making concerted efforts to get across to the local government council chairman. He is yet to be informed,” he said.

Similarly, the community’s youth leader, Udigi Waya, equally confirmed the rescue of the newborn baby.

He lamented over the situation, saying that the baby may have spent approximately three days in the abandoned condition before she was rescued.

When contacted, the command’s spokesperson, Peter Aondongu, said he was yet to get such a report.

“I have called the DPO of Konshisha local government area, and he told me that he is not aware of such a situation yet. So, I will still call him and get back to the press,” he said.

The identity of the mother, the circumstances surrounding the delivery and what led her to the abandonment of the newborn remain unknown as of the time of filing this report.