Residents of Ibu-Amo community around Gbodofon Area in Osogbo, the capital of Osun State woke up on Friday to the sight of a-day-old-baby dumped by the river bank.
According to one of the residents, who preferred not to be named, the baby boy believed to have been dead for hours was found without clothes by the river side by some children at about some minutes past seven the evening before.
The resident said they could not do anything, as the baby was already dead when they discovered the body but had to call on officials of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) this morning to clear the corpse.
Confirming the incident, the spokesman for the NSCDC in the state, Mr Babawale Afolabi, told reporters that the distress call brought the attention of the corps to the Ibu Amo River where they found the lifeless and already swollen body of a-day-old-baby.
He described as crude and wicked the idea of nurturing a pregnancy for nine months and finally having the baby killed and dumped by the river bank.
“While some of our men of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps from the Osogbo division were doing some of their surveillance today, one of the residents living around this area raised the alarm that there was a dead baby here, so they swung into action, called on our crisis management team and here we are.
“We have called on the local government authorities to come over and also called on some people to help dig a grave for the dead baby boy. It is so unfortunate.
“The reports we gathered is that they just found the dead baby here and looking at the corpse, it probably was put here since yesterday night. I wonder why all this is happening,” he said.
Giving words of advice to ladies, Mr Afolabi cautioned them not to take laws into their hands.
“If they know they cannot take care of pregnancy, then they can look for foster homes rather than dump babies by the river bank dead.
“They can also use protection if they have to relate with men. This kind of act is ungodly and must be stopped,” the NSCDC spokesman appealed.
Giving an account of the incident, the Asooju Oba of Ibu- Amo community, Mr Fatai Ola, said the community do not suspect anyone in the area, but pointed out that it was a sad situation.
“I only want to appeal to young ladies to please behave well, it is not easy to be pregnant and now get rid of it. This is really sad,” the Asooju Oba stressed.