A newborn baby girl has been rescued alive after being found abandoned inside a carton near Ashar forest in Wuese community, Konshisha Local Government Area of Benue State, on Saturday, August 29, 2026. The infant, believed to have been left for about three days, was discovered with maggots around her and a strong foul smell emanating from the carton. She was rushed to a medical facility and is now receiving treatment at Dooshima Clinic in Wuese.
Discovery and Immediate Response
Mrs Mbakasev Yisa, a passerby, made the discovery and alerted a nearby police outpost before the infant could be moved to safety. According to The Punch, an eyewitness account said maggots were found around the baby and a strong foul smell was coming from the carton in which she had been left. The maggots and smell suggest she had been there for some time before anyone found her.
Councillor Confirms Critical Condition
Terkumbur Mbaukaan, a councillor representing the area, told journalists by phone in Makurdi on Sunday that the baby was in an extremely critical condition at the time of the rescue. As reported by Vanguard, he said police officers who responded to Yisa's report documented the discovery and directed that the infant be taken to a medical facility without delay.
"When the policemen came to the scene, they carried out necessary documentation of the discovery and equally directed that Mrs Yisa take the baby to a medical facility for urgent medical attention. And because the baby's condition was so critical, the first clinic we approached could not admit the child," Mbaukaan said.
Treatment and Community Support
The infant was eventually admitted to Dooshima Clinic in Wuese, where she is being given glucose and NAN infant formula while medical staff work to stabilise her. She remains under observation in the Intensive Care Unit following exposure to harsh conditions shortly after birth.
Mbaukaan said he had already made a personal financial contribution towards the baby's care and urged individuals, humanitarian organisations, community leaders, and government bodies to extend support for her treatment and welfare. He added that the community had, for now, asked the officers at the local police outpost not to escalate the matter to the Divisional Police Office in Tse-Agbaragba.
Police Yet to Receive Formal Report
The community's youth leader, Udigi Waya, confirmed the rescue and said the baby may have spent roughly three days abandoned in the forest before Yisa found her. Benue State Police Command spokesperson Peter Aondongu said on Sunday that the command had not yet received a formal report on the incident. He said he had contacted the Divisional Police Officer for Konshisha LGA, who was equally unaware of the situation, and promised to follow up and revert to the press.
As of the time this report was filed, the identity of the baby's mother and the circumstances surrounding the abandonment remained unknown. The community is actively following up on the situation, and Mbaukaan said he was working to reach the local government council chairman, who had not yet been informed.
