Zainab Yakubu, a 15-year-old student has been arraigned before an Upper Area Court 3 in Jos for dumping her three-week-old baby girl. Arraigned alongside her was her lover and suspected father of the child, Abdullahi Ismail.
The Prosecutor, Sgt. Ahmed Labaran, told the court that the case was reported to Angwan Rogo Police Station by one Abdulkarim Danbadawai who found the child and took her to the police station. The prosecutor alleged that the lovers met twice in a hotel at Chobe Junction in Jos after which the teenager became pregnant.
He said:
“The accused’s mother (Zainab) was ashamed of her daughter’s act of indecency and begged her to go to Abuja and stay with a relation until when she delivers.”
He went on to tell the court that Zainab returned to Jos three weeks after giving birth to look for Ismail. When she found him, she put the baby in his arms and ran away, bewildered, he dropped the baby and fled.
“The poor baby girl was left alone crying before she was picked and brought to the station,’’ Labaran said.
The Judge, Yahaya Mohammed, ordered the ward head in the area, whose wife just gave birth, to keep the baby under his custody for nursing and adjourned the case until Feb. 16 for further hearing.
