Nigeria, Dec. 7 -- The House of Representatives has passed for second reading a bill to make it a criminal offence for parents to abandon a child after birth.

The bill, sponsored by Sergius Ogun (PDP, Edo), seeks to amend section 14 of the Child Right Act.

During the debate on the general principle of the bill, Mr Ogun informed his colleagues that the bill seeks to create a new section 14 subsection 3 to provide punishment for abandoning children after birth.

According to Mr Ogun, the bill seeks to impose sanctions on any parent who abandons a newborn child and absconds after birth.

The bill is proposing a fine of N200,000 or imprisonment of six months against anyone convicted by the court for the offence of abandoning a child.

The p...