Mother abandons baby in polythene bag

A 25-year-old woman who concealed her day-old baby in a polythene bag and abandoned her in a bush, has been arrested by the police.

The woman, Mariama Sumiana, a native of Niger, residing at Gariba Zongo in Suhum, pleaded guilty to the charge of concealment of baby when she was arraigned before the Suhum Community Tribunal, chaired by Mr John Bentil.

Inspector Margaret Otuafo, who prosecuted said on June 28, at about 4 am, one Lamisi Adamu, who stays in the same area with Mariama, reported at the Suhum Police Station that while she was attending to nature’s call, she was attracted by an unusual noise in a black polythene bag in a nearby bush.

Inspector Otuafo said, Lamisi became curious, took the polythene bag, opened it and found a day-old baby girl with its placenta in and so sent it to the police station where the baby was rushed to the Suhum Government Hospital and placed on admission.

The prosecutor said blood stains and rubber sandals belonging to Mariama were later found in the bathroom of her house so she was suspected of being the mother of trhe baby.

Efforts to get her however, proved futile so two of her relatives, Musa Gariba and Ramatu Gyibo, were invited by the police to assist in tracing her.

The prosecution said Mariama was later seen at Bonsu near Kibi, and taken to the Suhum Police Station where she admitted the offence.

According to Inspector Otuafo, Mariama explained that she was not herself after delivery and did not know what made her abandon the child and so she was taken to the Suhum Government Hospital for medical treatment.

Inspector Otuafo said at the hospital it was confirmed that she had delivered and she identified the baby as hers.

Mariama who is said to be doing well together with the baby, was bonded by the tribunal in the sum of ?1 million, and to be of good behaviour for a period of 12 months.