Police in the Federal Capital Territory have disclosed how they traced and arrested Precious Yohana, a 27-year-old woman accused of killing her newborn baby with a razor blade in the Jabi area of Abuja.
A statement issued by the FCT Police Command on Wednesday said Yohana was traced and arrested with the assistance of members of the immediate community following a manhunt ordered by the Commissioner of Police, CP Ahmed Muhammed Sanusi.
The Abuja Inquirer had on Monday reported the arrest after the body of the day-old infant was discovered abandoned in a nearby bush on Sunday night, October 4, with deep wounds on the throat and abdomen.
Police Public Relations Officer, SP Josephine Adeh, in the statement issued on Wednesday, said operatives from Jabi Division recovered the lifeless baby after receiving a distress call at about 10:30pm and rushed him to a nearby hospital, where he was confirmed dead by medical personnel.
Adeh said preliminary investigation showed that Yohana, a native of Riyam in Sanga Local Government Area of Kaduna State and a resident of the Daki-Biu/Jabi area, gave birth to the baby inside her room on October 3 at about 4pm.
According to the statement, the suspect subsequently used a razor blade to inflict the fatal injuries on the newborn before abandoning the body in a nearby bush.
The police said the suspect “freely stated that she carried out the act out of hatred for the baby’s father.”
The Command said the Commissioner of Police, while commending members of the immediate community for their assistance in identifying and arresting the suspect, “strongly condemned the act, describing it as a grave and unacceptable violation of the sanctity of human life.”
The statement said the suspect remains in police custody as investigation continues and assured that she will be charged to court upon conclusion of the investigation.
The Command also urged members of the public to remain vigilant and promptly report suspicious persons, activities or incidents to the nearest police station or through its emergency lines: 08028940883 and 08032003913.
