From Ighomuaye Lucky, Benin
The coordinator of the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camp, in Uhogua, Ovia South West Local Government Area of Edo State, Pastor Solomon Folorunsho, yesterday said a baby suspected to be two days old dumped within the premises of the camp, needed breast feeding.
He said this while speaking with newsmen in Benin City.
Pastor Folorunsho narrated that an unknown person on Friday at about 11a.m dumped the baby at the camp’s woods, which is an entrance into the camp.
Folorunsho said that the baby was under medical care at the camp health facility.
Folorunsho said that the baby was dumped with a written note.
“We discovered the baby who is about a day or two old at our woods on the entrance into the camp.
“The baby was dumped with a note which read ‘please help me take care of him. I cannot take care of him, because I don’t have anything and I don’t want to kill him also, so he is your own please,’” Folorunsho said
He added that the development had been reported to the relevant authorities as well as security agencies in the state, namely the Ministry of Women Affairs, the police and the Department of State Service (DSS).
The camp coordinator admonished the mother of the child to come forward, adding that child was in need of breast.
“I encourage the mother of the child to come out and not be afraid; if not for anything so that the baby can be given breast milk, while we solicit support for them.
“Or we could mobilise to raise and rent a house for her (mother), help with food and other things, since she said the reason for her action was because she could not take care of the child.
“If she has support, I am sure, she will be able to take care of the baby. If the woman will be there, we will be supporting the child.
“But in the absence of that, we are ready to take care of the child and train him like other children here, because some children we have here were brought in quite young, though this is the youngest.”
The coordinator also appealed to well meaning Nigerians to assist the child with baby clothes, food and other nutritional items.
“While we take care of this child with the nurses we have here and our staff, we appeal to well meaning Nigerians to assist the child.
“Because we definitely need help in terms of baby clothes, baby food, and other nutritious things the child needs,” Folorunsho said.
He said that the parents of the child must have dumped him because of the confidence that the camp takes good care of all babies in their possession.