Infant rescued in Ondo forest as government decries rise in child neglect
By Boye Oyeyemi
The Ondo State Government has condemned the growing cases of baby abandonment following the rescue of a newborn girl allegedly dumped in a forest in Oboto community, Ondo East Local Government Area.
According to the Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Seun Bosede Osamaye, hunters discovered the baby around midnight and alerted rescue officials who rushed the child to a health facility for treatment.
She explained that the ministry’s Child Department was immediately informed after the baby received medical attention at a government hospital.
Osamaye described the abandonment of babies as cruel and dangerous, warning that such acts expose innocent children to death, trauma and other risks.
She urged women and young girls to embrace family planning and responsible parenting to reduce unwanted pregnancies and child neglect across the state.
“We keep warning our girls and women to put an end to unwanted pregnancies. If you are sexually active and not ready to care for a child, go for family planning because it is free in our hospitals,” she said.
The commissioner added that parents facing financial or emotional challenges should seek help from government-approved homes and non-governmental organisations instead of abandoning children in unsafe places.
She also commended the hunters and health officials involved in the rescue, while assuring residents that the administration of Governor Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa would continue to provide protection and support for vulnerable children in the state.
