A woman suspected to be mentally ill has delivered a baby girl by the roadside in Kwaita village, Kwali Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT.
A resident, Saidu Musa, disclosed that the incident occurred in the early hours of Saturday at about 12:30 a.m., when the woman was found after she had given birth without assistance.
Musa explained that a neighbour, who was familiar with the woman often seen around the roadside, raised the alarm after discovering that she had put to bed.
According to him, the neighbour quickly alerted a police patrol team operating in the area.
The spokesperson of the FCT Police Command, SP Josephine Adeh, confirmed the development in a statement issued on Sunday.
Adeh said the command received a distress report from officers of the Rapid Response Squad on patrol, indicating that an unidentified mentally ill woman had delivered a baby along the roadside in Kwaita village.
She noted that upon receiving the information, the officer in charge of the Gender Unit, Kwali Division, alongside her team, immediately mobilised to the scene.
“The mother and her newborn were safely rescued and taken to General Hospital, Kwali, where they received medical attention and were later discharged in stable condition,” she said.
The police spokesperson added that the Welfare Officer of Kwali Area Council, Sadiq Kwali, was subsequently contacted in line with standard procedures.
She further revealed that the mother and her baby were later transferred to the FCT Children’s Home in Gwako, Gwagwalada Area Council, for proper care and support.
Adeh also stated that the Commissioner of Police, CP Ahmed Mohammed Sanusi, commended the officers for their swift response, professionalism and compassion in handling the situation.
