The International Federation of Women Lawyers, Rivers State branch, has rescued a two-week-old infant abandoned at a shrine in Abua, Abua/Odual Local Government Area of Rivers State.
The Chairperson of FIDA in Rivers State, Tamunoibuemi Life-George, gave details of the rescue operation on Tuesday.
Life-George said the organisation received credible information on Sunday, June 14, 2026, that a male infant had been abandoned in front of a local shrine in the area. The matter was immediately escalated and the child was rescued with police support.
“We immediately escalated the incident and got the child rescued through the support of the police,” she stated.
Preliminary findings and interviews with the mother revealed that the young woman had initially left the baby in the care of the child’s father due to lack of necessities. Later, the grandfather, who is the father of the infant’s father, allegedly took the baby and dumped him in front of a shrine in the middle of the night.
Life-George said that upon receiving the report and ensuring the arrival of the child, the mother, and good Samaritans at the FIDA Legal Centre, the organisation intervened to ensure the safety and survival of the infant.
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Emergency interventions
The state FIDA chairperson said the following emergency support had been provided:
- Secured the immediate safety of the infant
- Facilitated initial medical assessments at the Rivers State University Teaching Hospital
- Provided emergency living support for the young mother to enable her to continue breastfeeding the baby
Life-George said the baby is currently stable, but comprehensive medical evaluations are still required to guarantee his long-term health. The case is presently being handled at the Rivers State University Teaching Hospital in Port Harcourt.
To sustain the intervention, FIDA urgently requires financial support to cover medical costs and clinical evaluations prescribed at RSUTH, nutritional support, and welfare assistance for the young mother to enable her to adequately care for her child.
She appealed to well-meaning individuals and organisations to support the intervention through financial contributions for the baby’s medical diagnostics and immediate welfare materials for both mother and child.
When contacted, a spokesperson for the state police command, Blessing Agabe, said she would confirm details with the divisional police officer. As of Wednesday afternoon, she had not provided an update.
Cases of infant abandonment continue to raise concern in parts of Nigeria, often linked to poverty, lack of social support systems, and family breakdowns.
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