By Amah
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Residents of Okpoko, a densely populated suburb near Onitsha in Anambra State, were left in shock and grief after the lifeless bodies of newborn twin babies were discovered inside a drainage channel, prompting the arrest of their biological parents by the police.
The tragic incident, which has sparked outrage and widespread condemnation across the community, has renewed concerns about child abandonment, infant welfare, and the growing social pressures that sometimes lead to desperate actions by vulnerable parents.
According to the Anambra State Police Command, operatives attached to the Okpoko Divisional Police Station received a distress report in the early hours of Saturday, June 21, 2026, about the discovery of two dead infants abandoned in a drain along Cooperative Street, Nwokedi area of Okpoko.
Confirming the development, the Commissioner of Police, Ikioye Orutugu, through the command’s spokesperson, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, said officers immediately secured the scene, recovered evidence, and launched an intensive investigation.
The preliminary findings, according to the police, led to the identification and arrest of the biological parents of the deceased twins. The suspects are currently in custody and are assisting investigators in unraveling the circumstances surrounding the deaths of the infants.
The gruesome discovery triggered anger among residents, many of whom questioned why the babies were allegedly abandoned rather than being taken to orphanages, welfare agencies, or adoption centres where they could have received care and protection.
Describing the incident as deeply disturbing, Orutugu condemned the act and emphasised that every child has an inherent right to life, care, and protection.
“The discovery of the lifeless bodies of twin infants in a drain at Okpoko is a disturbing case of man’s inhumanity to man and a gross violation of the sanctity of human life,” the police commissioner said.
He assured residents that the command would pursue the investigation to its logical conclusion and that anyone found culpable would face the full weight of the law.
The police chief also commended officers of the Okpoko Division for their swift response and prompt investigative efforts, which resulted in the arrest of the suspects shortly after the incident was reported.
As investigations continue, the heartbreaking case has reignited conversations about maternal support systems, child protection mechanisms, and the urgent need for greater public awareness of legal alternatives to child abandonment in Nigeria.
