Anambra: Teenage mother abandons baby in hospital after delivery

A teenage girl in Anambra has abandoned her newborn baby in a hospital and fled immediately after delivery.

The girl was alleged to have left the baby in the hospital, prompting the owner of the hospital to take the baby to the Commissioner for Women’s Affairs and Social Welfare, Mrs Ify Obinabo.

Obinabo has become popular for her role in ensuring the welfare of women and children, including protecting the rights of vulnerable people.

Chidinma Ikeanyionwu, the media aide to Obinabo who disclosed this to DAILY POST, said the commissioner quickly made enquiries and found the mother of the teenage girl and handed the infant over to her for care.

Ikeanyionwu in a statement said, “Anambra State Women and Social Welfare Commissioner Honourable Ify Obinabo has handed over the baby abandoned by her teenage mother to the grandmother.

“The Women Affairs Commissioner did the handing over in her office in Awka and noted that the baby was brought to her by a doctor after the young mother abandoned the child in his hospital after delivery.

“Hon Obinabo lamented on the high rate of child abandonment among teenage girls and urged them to stop. She went ahead to charge parents to equally treat their girl children with love anytime there’s such an incident instead of sending them out to fend for themselves.

“She united the newborn with her family and instructed strictly that the baby be under the care of the grandmother and not the teenage mother. She mandated them to always come to the ministry every two weeks to ensure that all conditions are met and strictly adhered to.”