Police in Wa have launched investigations into the discovery of the body of a newborn baby at the refuse dump of Sem-B Hotel at Bamahu, a suburb of Wa.

The lifeless baby boy was discovered on Friday morning by a cleaner at the hotel while carrying out routine sanitation duties.

Narrating the incident, the cleaner, Fabiana Dery, said she had completed sweeping the hotel premises and proceeded to empty a dustbin located in front of the hotel's gate.

"I was about to pour the rubbish and burn it when I noticed what looked like a human leg. I became frightened and ran to call my fellow cleaners.

When they came, we confirmed it was a dead baby. I was shocked and heartbroken. I only wished the baby were still alive. This is the first time I have witnessed such a thing," she said.

The owner of Sem-B Hotel, Dr Paul Bangniyel, said he was immediately informed by his staff after the discovery and promptly reported the matter to the Wa Municipal Police.

"I received a call from my cleaners informing me that they had found a polythene bag containing a motionless baby boy.

I instructed them not to touch anything and immediately reported the case to the police. I returned to the scene with officers from the police and the Environmental Health Unit to assess the situation and take the necessary action," he explained.

"This is the first time such an occurrence has happened in over 15 years of operating this facility. We have never witnessed anything like this before," he said.

He said the location of the discovery suggested that the baby might have been dumped by someone passing through the area.

"Since the body was found at the roadside refuse dump, it is possible that someone simply passed by and abandoned it there.

It could also be another possibility involving a guest, but I cannot confirm that. If anything had happened in one of our rooms, the cleaners would likely have noticed and reported it to me. As of now, I have not received any such report," he added.

The Assembly Member for the Bamahu Electoral Area, Adams Yahaya Gigah, described the incident as unfortunate and said it had come as a shock to the entire community.

"When I received the information, I rushed to the scene immediately. This is the first time we are witnessing such an incident in our area, and it creates a bad image for the community. We will work with the relevant authorities to see how such incidents can be prevented in the future," he said.

Mr Gigah indicated that by the time he arrived, the hotel management had already reported the matter to the police. "The appropriate thing has been done by informing the police. We will now wait for them to carry out their investigations and determine the next course of action," he said.

The Assembly Member said the matter was now entirely in the hands of the police. "They know the procedures to follow and will ensure all the necessary records are kept in case anyone comes forward with information relating to the child," he stated.

The police have since taken custody of the body and commenced investigations to establish the circumstances surrounding the abandonment and death of the baby.