The body of a newborn baby boy has been found at a refuse dump at Sem-B Hotel in Wa, prompting investigations by the Upper West Regional Police Command.
The discovery was made by a cleaner at the hotel, Fabiana Dery, on Friday, July 17, 2026, when she went to empty a dustbin near the facility’s entrance as part of her routine duties.
“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 hotel’s owner, Dr. Paul Bangniyel, said he reported the matter to the Wa Municipal Police immediately after his staff alerted him.
“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 suggested the baby may have been dumped by a passer-by, given that the refuse dump sits along the roadside, though he stressed that he would leave the matter to police to investigate fully.
“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, said the incident had left the community shaken and had painted an unfortunate picture of the area.
“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 since retrieved the baby’s body and commenced investigations to establish the circumstances surrounding the death and track down those responsible.
