A day-old baby boy abandoned by an unknown lady has been rescued by residents in Minna, Niger State.

The baby boy, who was rescued a few minutes after he was dumped, was already infested by soldier ants before help could come its way.

The newborn was abandoned in the Tayi area of Minna and was rescued by the person who found him on Saturday evening as the ants were about to feast on him.

According to one of the residents who gave his name as Aliyu Bala Ibrahim, the baby was wrapped in leather and left without clothes on him.

“Ants had started crawling on him before he was found. This is the most tragic scene I’ve ever seen in my life. Capital punishment should be introduced against people who do this.

“The umbilical cord is still attached to the baby. I think he was given birth to a few hours ago. They didn’t even bathe him. They just washed the blood off his body and threw him away,” he said.