Abuja: Police Arrest 27-Year-Old Woman Over Newborn Baby’s Death

The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command has arrested a 27-year-old woman, Precious Yohanna, over the death of her newborn baby in the Jabi area of Abuja.

The police said the lifeless body of the male infant was discovered abandoned in a bush near Jabi on October 4, 2026, with injuries to the throat and abdomen.

The FCT Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), SP Josephine Adeh, disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday.

According to Adeh, the command received a distress call at about 10:30pm on October 4 reporting the discovery of an abandoned baby in a bush near Jabi.

She said operatives from the Jabi Police Division were immediately deployed to the scene, where they recovered the lifeless body of the infant.

“The infant was immediately rushed to a nearby hospital, where he was confirmed dead by a medical team on duty,” Adeh said.

Following the incident, the Commissioner of Police, FCT Command, CP Ahmed Muhammed Sanusi, ordered a manhunt for the suspect.

Adeh said, with the assistance of members of the immediate community, police operatives traced and arrested Yohanna, a native of Riyam in Sanga Local Government Area of Kaduna State, who resides in the Daki-Biu/Jabi area of the FCT.

She said preliminary investigations indicated that Yohanna gave birth to the baby inside her room at about 4pm on October 3.

The police spokesperson alleged that the suspect subsequently inflicted injuries on the newborn with a razor blade.

Adeh added that during interrogation, the suspect reportedly told investigators that she carried out the act because of her alleged hatred for the baby’s father.

The police, however, did not provide further details on the circumstances surrounding the alleged act.

The Commissioner of Police commended members of the community for assisting the police in identifying and arresting the suspect.

He condemned the incident and assured residents that the command would conduct a thorough investigation.

The suspect remains in police custody and will be charged to court upon the conclusion of investigations, according to the command.

The police also urged residents to remain vigilant and promptly report suspicious persons, activities or incidents to the nearest police station or through its emergency lines.