Ogun State Government Takes Custody of Abandoned Newborn

The Ogun State Government has taken custody of a newborn baby abandoned by its mother in the town of Ilaro.

The infant, described as two days old at the time of discovery, was found by a woman at Sayedero Market in the Yewa South Local Government Area. The find occurred last week, according to Daily Trust.

Ogun State, located in southwestern Nigeria, borders the Republic of Benin to the west and is home to several urban centres including Abeokuta, its capital. The state government routinely intervenes in cases of child abandonment as part of its child protection mandate.

Two viral videos subsequently circulated online, generating public controversy around the circumstances of the discovery. Details about the content of those videos or the identity of those involved were not disclosed in the report.

Local authorities have not released further information on the mother's whereabouts or the medical condition of the infant following its recovery. Child welfare officials in the state will now assume legal guardianship while determining the baby's long-term care.

Abandonment of newborns remains a recurrent challenge across parts of Nigeria, often linked to economic pressures, lack of social support for single mothers, or stigma surrounding unplanned pregnancies. Ogun State has previously established shelters and adoption procedures to handle such cases.

The incident highlights ongoing gaps in reproductive health education and family support services in parts of the country. Nigerian law criminalises child abandonment, with penalties intended to deter the practice and protect vulnerable infants.

State officials have not indicated whether an investigation is underway to locate the mother. In similar past cases, authorities have sometimes appealed to the public for information while prioritising the immediate health and safety of the child.

Based on reporting by Daily Trust.