The International Federation of Women Lawyers, Rivers State branch, has rescued an infant who was abandoned at a shrine in Abua in the Abua/Odual Local Government Area of Rivers State.

The Chairperson of FIDA in Rivers State, Tamunoibuemi Life-George, disclosed this while giving details of the rescue operation on Tuesday.

Life-George said the organisation received credible information on Sunday, June 14, 2026, that a two-week-old male infant had been abandoned in front of a local shrine in the area.

According to her, the matter was immediately escalated, and the child was rescued with the support of the police.

She stated, “We immediately escalated the incident and got the child rescued through the support of the police.”

She explained that 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 a lack of provision 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,” she stated.

Life-George said that upon receiving the report and ensuring the arrival of the child, the mother and the good Samaritans at the FIDA Legal Centre, the organisation immediately intervened to ensure the safety and survival of the infant.

The state FIDA chairperson disclosed that the following emergency interventions had been provided, including securing the immediate safety of the infant and facilitating initial medical assessments at the Rivers State University Teaching Hospital and provision of emergency living support for the young mother to enable her to continue breastfeeding the baby.

According to her, although the baby is currently stable, comprehensive medical evaluations are still required to guarantee his long-term health.

She said the case is presently being handled at the Rivers State University Teaching Hospital in Port Harcourt.

To sustain the intervention, Life-George said FIDA urgently requires financial support to cover medical costs and clinical evaluations prescribed at the RSUTH, nutritional support and welfare assistance for the young mother to enable her to adequately care for her child, among others.

She appealed to well-meaning individuals and organisations to support the intervention through financial contributions aimed at funding the baby’s medical diagnostics and providing immediate welfare materials for both mother and child.

When contacted, a spokesperson for the state police command, Blessing Agabe, said she would find out from the divisional police officer and get back to our reporter.

However, she had yet to do so as of the time of filing this report on Wednesday afternoon.

Cases of infant abandonment have continued to raise concern in parts of Nigeria, often linked to poverty, lack of social support systems and family breakdowns.

Such incidents have also highlighted the role of community-based organisations and civil society groups in emergency child protection and rescue interventions. (The PUNCH)

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