Police in Kebbi State have arrested a 20-year-old woman accused of burying her newborn daughter alive, in a case that has shocked a rural community and underscored concerns about child protection in Nigeria.
According to the Kebbi State Police Command, the incident occurred on June 25 in Kamba, a border town in Dandi Local Government Area. The woman, identified as Maryam Atiku, reportedly gave birth at her home before taking the infant to a bush near Malam Yaro village. There, investigators said, she tied the baby’s neck with cloth, covered her mouth, and placed her in a shallow grave.
The following day, a farmer working nearby noticed freshly disturbed soil. Suspicious, he alerted villagers, who dug into the earth and uncovered the infant—alive. The baby was rushed to the General Hospital in Kamba, where doctors stabilized her. Officials said she is now in good condition.
The discovery set off a swift response. Detectives from the State Criminal Investigation Department in Birnin Kebbi arrested Ms. Atiku, who police say confessed during questioning.
“This command will not tolerate acts of child abuse or gender-based violence in any form,” Bello Sani, the state’s commissioner of police, said in a statement. He urged parents and community leaders to resist pressures that might drive such actions. “No level of hardship or poverty justifies harming a child,” he added.
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Community members have expressed both relief at the baby’s survival and deep unease at the circumstances. While child abandonment cases are not unheard of, the episode has renewed calls for stronger social safety nets for vulnerable women.
Nigeria continues to struggle with high rates of maternal poverty, limited access to health services, and stigma surrounding unplanned pregnancies, factors that often leave young mothers isolated. Rights advocates say addressing these systemic issues is critical to preventing future tragedies.
For now, the baby remains under medical care, her survival seen as nothing short of remarkable. The police have pledged to pursue the case in court, while community leaders in Dandi are rallying around the child, calling her rescue “a miracle.”