The Kebbi State Police Command has arrested a 20-year-old woman, identified as Maryam Atiku, for allegedly attempting to kill her newborn baby by burying her alive.
In a statement released on Wednesday, the command’s spokesperson, Nafiu Abubakar, said the incident happened on June 25, 2025, in the Nasarawa area of Kamba, Dandi Local Government Area.
According to the police, Atiku gave birth to a baby girl at about 8:00 p.m. and allegedly tied the infant’s neck with wrappers before taking her to a bush near Malam Yaro village, where she dug a shallow grave and buried the child.
Luck, however, smiled on the baby the following day when a farmer, Kabiru Muhammad, working on his farm noticed a freshly dug patch of soil.
Suspicious of foul play, he raised an alarm, prompting residents to dig up the spot. To their shock, they found the baby still breathing.
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The child was quickly taken to the General Hospital in Kamba, where doctors confirmed she was alive and immediately placed her under medical care. She is said to be in stable condition.
Detectives from the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Birnin Kebbi, launched an investigation and later apprehended the suspect, who confessed to the act during interrogation.
Reacting to the incident, Kebbi State Commissioner of Police, Bello Sani, condemned the act and restated the command’s zero tolerance for child abuse and gender-based violence.
He urged parents and community leaders to uphold their duty of care towards children and never allow hardship to justify cruelty.