Vigilante Rescues Newborn Baby Abandoned In Refuse Dump
A newborn baby girl was rescued from a refuse dump in front of Mile 3 motor park in Port Harcourt, Rivers State by a local vigilante group on April 28, 2023
The vigilante group was on a routine patrol when they discovered the baby wrapped in clothes and still carrying her placenta. 
Godstime Ihunwo, the Chief Security Officer of the Nkpolu Oroworukwo community, who confirmed the incident to newsmen, immediately called a human rights activist, Prince Wiro, who joined him to lodge a formal report at the police station.
Ihunwo explained that the baby was discovered to be less than six hours old and appeared to have been abandoned in the cold due to the lack of street lights in most parts of Port Harcourt.
The vigilante leader urged the Rivers State Government to ensure the contractors in charge of the Ikwerre Road street lights keep them on at night.
The newborn baby girl was taken to a female nurse for urgent medical attention and was found to be responding well to treatment, according to Prince Wiro, who is the Coordinator of the Centre for Basic Rights Protection and Accountability Campaign.
This incident highlights the dangerous consequences of inadequate street lighting in cities, which can lead to criminals using the cover of darkness to commit crimes and lead to dangerous situations for vulnerable persons such as abandoned infants.
It is heartening to note that the vigilante group acted swiftly to rescue the baby and that she is responding to treatment.
The authorities must take steps to provide adequate lighting in all parts of Port Harcourt and implement measures to prevent the abandonment of infants.
Such incidents also underline the importance of promoting awareness of family planning and safe sex practices to prevent unwanted pregnancies that can lead to desperate acts of abandoning newborns.
As a society, it is our collective responsibility to provide a safe and nurturing environment for all members, especially vulnerable persons such as newborns.
We must work towards upholding the rights of every person and ensuring that incidents such as this never occur again.
