Police in the Upper West Region have launched investigations after the body of a baby boy was discovered in a refuse dump at Sem-B Hotel in Wa.
The grim discovery was made on Friday, July 17, by a cleaner at the facility, who was carrying out her routine duties.
Speaking to the media, the cleaner, Fabiana Dery, said she initially thought she had seen an animal while emptying a dustbin near the entrance of the hotel.
“I was emptying the dustbin and preparing to burn the rubbish when I noticed what looked like a human leg. I became scared and called my co-workers. When they came, we realised it was a dead baby. I was shocked and heartbroken because this is the first time I have seen something like this,” she recounted.
The owner of Sem-B Hotel, Dr. Paul Bangniyel, said management immediately reported the incident to the Wa Municipal Police after being informed by the cleaners.
“I received a call from my cleaners that they had found a baby wrapped in a polythene bag. I went straight to the police station to make a report, and the police came to the scene with environmental health officers to take the necessary action,” he said.
Dr. Bangniyel noted that the incident was the first of its kind in the hotel’s more than 15 years of operation.
“We have never witnessed anything like this before. Since the body was found at the refuse dump by the roadside, it is possible that someone passing by dumped it there. Other possibilities cannot be ruled out, but we will leave the investigations to the police,” he added.
The Assembly Member for the area, Adams Yahaya Gigah, described the incident as unfortunate and said it had cast a negative image on the community.
“This is the first time we are witnessing something like this in our area. It is very disturbing, and we will work with the relevant authorities to see how such incidents can be prevented in the future,” he said.
Police have taken custody of the baby’s body and commenced investigations to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident and identify those responsible.
