Residents of Mendankwe in Bamenda, Mezam County, experienced shock and disbelief upon discovering a newborn baby alive inside an abandoned pit toilet. The dramatic rescue has stirred strong reactions across the chief city of Ambazonia’s Northern Zone.
According to local accounts, a young woman allegedly threw the newborn into a deep and unused latrine shortly after giving birth. The act went unnoticed until a nearby resident began hearing faint cries believed to come from the direction of the abandoned toilet.
The neighbour reportedly ignored the sound at first. However, the cries continued for several minutes, prompting him to move closer to investigate. When he finally peeped into the pit, he made the shocking discovery of a newborn baby struggling for life deep inside the filthy toilet.
Faced with the difficulty of reaching the infant due to the depth of the pit and the dangerous structure of the toilet, members of the Mendankwe neighbourhood immediately raised an alarm and contacted security forces stationed around Bamenda.
Soldiers of La Republique’s military quickly arrived at the scene and launched a rescue operation. After careful efforts, they managed to pull the newborn out alive from the deep pit, in what many locals are now describing as nothing short of a miracle.
The baby was immediately rushed to a hospital in Bamenda, where medical personnel placed the infant under emergency care. Hospital sources say the child is responding to treatment and is currently under close monitoring as doctors work to stabilise the baby’s condition.
Meanwhile, local administrative authorities in Bamenda are expected to open an investigation to determine the circumstances surrounding the shocking abandonment. The identity of the mother has not yet been officially disclosed as enquiries continue.
The incident has left many in Mendankwe and across Bamenda questioning the desperation that could lead to such a tragic act, even as the survival of the newborn is being widely considered a rare moment of hope in the troubled city.
By Lucas Muma l BaretaNews
