An unidentified lady Friday morning dropped a baby in a refuse cart along Rukuba Road in the Plateau State capital and the baby later burnt to death.
The lady was said to have alighted from a tricycle popularly called Keke NAPEP and dropped a carton in the refuse bin but unknown to those around, the carton contained a baby.
It was unclear if she was the one that ignited the fire or if it came from ashes poured into the bin by other people, but the fire was seen several minutes after she had dropped the carton and left, according to residents of the area.
Some passers-by were said to have rushed to the refuse dump when they heard a shrill cry from what sounded like a baby only to discover that the baby had been badly burnt from the legs to the abdomen.
The baby, however died before he was brought out of the refuse dump, eliciting curses and regrets from the crowd that gathered to witness the scene.
A resident who confirmed sighting the lady when she dropped the carton said she must have come from another part of the state capital to the area where she is not well known because of the criminal act she wanted to perform.
He lamented that the lady chose to dump the baby in a refuse cart instead of somewhere he can be picked up for proper care.
Some residents of the area were said to have buried the baby when it was clear that he had given up the ghost.