Kogi Housewife Arrested for Abandoning Day-Old Baby in Gutter; Claims She Was Impregnated by Her Ill Husband’s Servant

A housewife named Barkisu Sulaiman has been arrested for allegedly throwing her newborn baby into a gutter in the Karaworo area of Lokoja, Kogi State.

The baby was discovered on Wednesday, October 2, 2024.

Residents of the area apprehended the suspect and turned her over to the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).

Reports indicate that her arrest followed a tip-off from a woman in the Kabawa area of Lokoja, who was said to be a close confidant of Sulaiman.

“Touched by the condition of the abandoned baby, her friend ran to an elderly man in Karaworo-Lokoja and confessed the crime of her friend (Barkisu) to him,” a resident of Karaworo-Lokoja, who spoke under condition of anonymity, said.

“She told the elderly man that her friend (Barkisu) once told her that she was carrying a seven months pregnancy for one of her sick husband’s servants, residing in Adankolo-Lokoja.”

She further revealed that the alleged father of her friend’s baby, who is currently at large, had rejected the pregnancy and advised her to abort it.

Community members reportedly took action against Barkisu, leading to her arrest. She allegedly confessed that she threw her one-day-old infant into the gutter because she cheated on her sick husband.

Paul Igweibuke, the Kogi commandant of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), confirmed Barkisu’s arrest.

“The woman was handed over to my command by the Ministry of Women Affairs, Kogi State,” he stated.

“The crime of the woman is that she had been married to another man, with whom she has six children.

“The man suffered a spinal cord injury, which has rendered him invalid. Unfortunately, she became pregnant out of wedlock.

“She later threw the baby from upstairs due to the circumstances surrounding her pregnancy

“We are keeping her in custody as NSCDC is collaborating with the Ministry of Women Affairs to ensure sanity in our state.”