The FCT Police Public Relations Officer, SP Josephine Adeh, disclosed this at the Force Headquarters in Abuja, noting that another baby girl had also been abandoned in Gwagwalada community.

Adeh expressed concern over the recurring cases of child abandonment in parts of the FCT, questioning the circumstances responsible for the increasing trend.

She said the rescued baby would be handed over to the relevant social welfare authorities for proper care, adding that the previously abandoned baby had also been taken into social welfare custody.

Speaking on the development, the Chief Special Officer of the FCT Child Development Department, Suleiman Lawan, identified the influx of young girls into Abuja without adequate support or knowledge of how to survive in the city as one of the challenges contributing to the problem.

Lawan said some young women end up falling victim to individuals who take advantage of them, resulting in unwanted pregnancies, after which the men responsible may abandon them to cater for the children alone.

He called for increased sensitisation among young people, urging women to take necessary precautions and protect themselves from situations that could result in unwanted pregnancies and subsequent abandonment.

According to him, the rescued newborn will be placed in protective custody under the Child Development Department of the FCT Women Affairs Secretariat.

He explained that the baby would first be taken to a hospital for medical examination before being kept in protective custody for between three and six months.

Lawan added that if no family member or claimant comes forward within the stipulated period, the child could subsequently be shortlisted for adoption by prospective parents in accordance with relevant procedures.