Police Arrest Woman For Abducting Two Babies For Child Dedication Ceremony

Rita Enemuru, Reporting 

THE Delta State Police Command has arrested a woman identified as Joy for allegedly abducting two infants and presenting them as her own children during a dedication ceremony.

The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) of the command, SP Bright Edafe, disclosed this in a video made available to Stonix News, revealing that the suspect allegedly kidnapped two babies in separate incidents within a few weeks.

According to the police spokesperson, the first incident occurred about three weeks before the suspect’s arrest when she allegedly befriended an 18-year-old mother who sold tickets by the roadside.

He said the woman had approached the young mother under the guise of seeking a house help and gradually established a relationship with her.

“She came back again and volunteered to help her carry her baby. She carried the child and, with the excuse that she wanted to go get a candy, she ran away with the three-month-old baby,” the police spokesperson said.

The PPRO further disclosed that the suspect allegedly struck again about three days before her arrest by abducting a four-month-old baby from a groundnut seller.

He explained that the woman had pretended to be a customer and requested to buy groundnuts.

“While the seller was looking for groundnut for her, she somehow misled a 14-year-old who was with a baby. She left and the woman went away with the four-month-old baby, and they were looking for that child,” he said.

The police image-maker said operatives of the command launched an investigation and successfully tracked down the suspect, leading to the recovery of the children.

Speaking on the circumstances surrounding the second abduction, one of the children’s mothers said the suspect had been her customer for a short period.

She explained that the woman visited her stall on a Saturday and requested to buy groundnuts.

According to her, while a person who had been holding the baby went to fetch water, the suspect entered the house where the child had been left and disappeared with the infant.

Confessing to the crime, the suspect said she had suffered a series of personal tragedies, including the loss of pregnancies and the death of twins she later gave birth to.

She claimed that after losing the children, she was unable to inform the children’s father, who had already invited guests for a dedication ceremony.

“I carried the first child about three weeks ago before carrying the other on a Saturday, a day to the dedication. So the children were dedicated as my children,” she said.

Condemning the act, the police spokesperson questioned how anyone could resort to stealing children in an attempt to avoid embarrassment.

He urged parents and guardians to remain vigilant and closely monitor their children.

“I plead with mothers to be mindful and watchful of their children because of people like this,” he said.

The Delta State Police Command said investigations into the matter are ongoing.