A newborn delivered by a mentally unstable woman by the roadside in Ikeduru Local Government Area of Imo State has been rescued by Virgin Heart Foundation, a non-profit organisation.
The group’s Executive Director, Peace Dike, confirmed in a statement on Tuesday that the baby and mother initially received medical attention at New Life Maternity and Clinic after local women assisted in the delivery on August 5, 2025.
According to Dike, the mother, who also suffers from a physical disability, absconded from the clinic the following day and has not been seen since.
The proprietress of the maternity home subsequently alerted both the Virgin Heart Foundation and the Gender Unit of the Imo State Police Command, who followed up on the welfare of the child.
Dike revealed that efforts to secure custody of the infant faced setbacks. “Virgin Heart Foundation formally wrote to the Ministry of Women Affairs, but the maternity initially refused to release the baby. It was only after police intervention that the child was handed over to the ministry and later placed in a registered orphanage in Owerri,” she said.
The foundation called on the Imo State Government to strengthen child protection measures, warning against the prevalence of baby factories and unregistered shelters in the state.
“The Ministry of Women Affairs, particularly its Child Welfare Department, must ensure transparency, accountability, and eradicate baby-selling in Imo,” the statement stressed, adding that the foundation will continue to monitor the case to safeguard the child’s welfare.
