Residents have lamented the shocking sight of a baby abandoned in biscuit carton along Ikot Ekpene Road in Uyo, Akwa Ibom state. The incident threw residents into shock and grief as the baby girl, dressed and abandoned near a bank, died after hours of supposedly battling for survival. According to reports, the unidentified baby became pale after a long period of crying, before passing out.
A resident of the area, Mr. Okon Isaac, in a bid to buy fuel at a fuel station along Ikot Ekpene Road, said he heard the cry of a baby near the refuse bin, dressed neatly and dumped in the biscuit carton. Isaac said, “I have been here since 5:47 am. 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 close to 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. 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,” Isaac told The Punch.
When contacted, the police reportedly said they were aware of the situation and had contacted the Ministry of Environment for necessary action.
Meanwhile, until the baby died; neither the police nor officials of the Ministry of Environment, were seen at the scene.
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