Residents of Umuodu village, Okpuno, in Awka South Local Government Area of Anambra State were thrown into shock on Sunday after a newborn baby was found abandoned inside a bag at a roadside shop.
The baby was discovered by a nurse, Mrs Mercy Iloanya, when she arrived at her shop along Pope John Paul Seminary School Street.
According to her, she noticed a tote bag placed suspiciously in front of the shop and alerted a passer-by, who confirmed that the baby was alive.
“I was shocked when I opened the bag and saw a newborn baby inside,” Iloanya said. “We immediately raised the alarm.”
The owner of the shop, Mrs Chika Onyema, said a handwritten note was found alongside the baby, allegedly from the mother, pleading for assistance in caring for the child.
Good Samaritans, mostly women who gathered at the scene, reportedly contributed baby items and cash while expressing disbelief at the development.
Officials of the Anambra Broadcasting Service later took the baby to the Anambra Police Division B, where the incident was documented.
The child was subsequently transferred to the Intensive Care Unit of the Mother and Child Department at the Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University Teaching Hospital, Amaku, Awka, on the directive of the Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Welfare.
Police authorities said efforts were ongoing to trace the baby’s parents, while the state government assured that the child would receive proper medical attention and care.
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