A newborn baby has been rescued after being abandoned in a shop along Pope John Paul Seminary School Street, Umuodu Village, Okpuno, in Awka South Local Government Area of Anambra State.

The baby was reportedly found alive inside a bag at about 9:00 a.m. on Sunday by a nurse, Mercy Iloanya, who operates a shop near the location.

Speaking on the incident, Iloanya said she was preparing to open her shop when she heard the cries of a baby coming from a nearby bag.

“I immediately called the attention of a man I saw along the street, who confirmed that the baby was alive before we alerted the woman whose shop the baby was dropped in front of,” she said.

According to her, when the shop owner arrived, they opened the bag and discovered a handwritten note allegedly left by the baby’s mother, appealing to the shop owner to help take care of the child.

The incident attracted passersby and residents, with Good Samaritans contributing baby items, while many expressed shock and concern over the abandonment.

The baby was subsequently taken to the Anambra Police ‘B’ Division, where the case was formally documented.

Following the report, the Anambra State Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Welfare, Ify Obinabo, directed that the newborn be moved to the Intensive Care Unit of the Mother and Child Department at Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University Teaching Hospital, Amaku, Awka, for urgent medical care.

Authorities are expected to commence investigations to locate the mother and ensure the welfare of the child.