Man dumps baby in bush to get married to another woman

Accra, Jan. 25, GNA - The La and Nsawam Police are investigating a case in which Gideon Aryeh, 25, Sprayer and resident of La, went to dump his son in a bush near Teacher Mante in the Eastern Region. Aryeh travelled to Teacher Mante (near Nsawam), a distance of about 48 kilometres to dump his nine-month old baby boy in a bush and returned home (La) a little after three hours.

The Police told the GNA on Thursday that the baby's mother, Ayorkor Tetteh, 22, Trader, left the baby under the care of Aryeh, his father, on Sunday January 21, 2007 at about 0430 hours and went to the bathroom.

When she returned she did not find Aryeh and the baby. After about three hours Aryeh returned without the baby and when she asked him about the baby, his husband said he did not know his whereabouts.

Ayorkor made a complaint to the Labadi Police and Aryeh was arrested. During investigations the La Police was on January 24 informed by the Nsawam Police that a baby boy had been found in a bush at Teacher Mante and was in the custody of a nursing mother, who found him in a bush and had been nursing him together with her own baby.

Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), Mr Samuel Adane-Ameyaw Nyamekye La District Commander, said the La Police upon the tip-off joined their counterpart at Nsawam on January 25 and found the baby with the couple, Mr Kofi Yirenkyi and Gladys Kyenebea.

The Couple told the Police that they rescued the baby from a nearby farm at Governorkrom, three kilometres from Teacher Mante at about 0730 hours on January 21, 2007.

The Police said initial investigations indicated that Aryeh carried out his game with the intent of ending up his relationship with Ayorkor, the baby's mother, whom he claimed was preventing him from getting married to another woman.

The Police said Aryeh confessed taking the baby away from his mother and abandoning him in the bush at Teacher Mante. Meanwhile five persons had identified Aryeh as the person, who abandoned the baby last Sunday in the area.

The Police at Labadi and Nsawam on Thursday took Aryeh and his wife to Teacher Mante and to the scene where the baby was abandoned. Residents at Teacher Mante on hearing that the parents of the baby were around went wild called for the blood of the wicked father, who had abandoned the baby.

The baby was handed over to the Ayorkor after a brief meeting with the Mankrado E.G. Opoku Afram, Chief of Teacher Mante, and his Elders. ASP Nyamekye lauded the role of the Couple, Assemblyman and the residents for their role in rescuing the nine-month-old baby. He said the Police would continue with investigations and put the suspect before court.

Speaking to the GNA Mr Yirenkyi said while on his farm, he heard a baby crying aloud and thinking that it was his baby, he started reprimanding his wife while moving towards where the noise was coming from. When he got closer, he found the baby crawling towards his wife. He therefore, asked his wife, a lactating mother, to take care of the baby. They took the baby home and reported the incident to Mr Edward Amaadi Antwi, Assemblyman for Teacher Mante, who in turn reported the incident to the Chief and Elders of the town and to the Police. 25 Jan. 07