The Ekiti State Police Command has successfully recovered a newborn baby stolen from the Okeyinmi Health Centre, located in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital.
The baby was reportedly abducted by a 34-year-old woman, Deborah Ayeni, who had deceitfully posed as an expectant mother.
According to the State Commissioner of Police, Joseph Eribo, the arrest of the suspect followed a detailed investigation launched after a tip-off and the review of critical evidence left behind by the suspect at the scene of the incident.
Speaking at the police headquarters in Ado-Ekiti, Eribo narrated how the case unfolded. “The suspect left behind a polythene bag at the hospital, which contained some baby items and a receipt from a well-known supermarket in the city,” he said.
“Our operatives swung into action immediately and traced the receipt to the supermarket. Upon inquiry, the supermarket management provided CCTV footage that clearly captured the suspect’s face.”
The police also received vital information from a resident who recognized the suspect and revealed that she had not been pregnant, despite suddenly appearing with a newborn. This tip further corroborated the evidence the police had gathered. Acting swiftly, officers tracked and arrested the suspect at her residence on Wednesday.
During interrogation, Deborah Ayeni confessed to stealing the newborn. She admitted that she had faked a pregnancy to deceive her boyfriend, who resides in the United Kingdom, and had been sending her money under the belief that she was expecting his child.
Explaining how she executed the act, Deborah said, “I had been lying to my boyfriend for years, claiming I was pregnant. When he informed me he was planning to come back to Nigeria to see me and the baby, I panicked. On Sunday morning, I stuffed clothes under my dress to look pregnant and entered the hospital ward, pretending to be an expectant mother.”
She went on to explain how she gained the trust of the baby’s parents. “I noticed the mother was a Northerner, and since I speak Hausa, I engaged her and her husband in friendly conversation. When the husband left that night to buy some items, he even asked me to watch over his wife and their newborn.”
“In the early hours of Monday, around 5 a.m., when I saw that the mother was asleep and no nurses were in the ward, I quietly picked up the baby and left for my house,” she recounted.
The motive, Deborah revealed, was to present the baby as her own to cover up her lies and avoid losing the UK-based man, whom she had been manipulating emotionally and financially.
Fortunately, the police were able to rescue the baby unharmed. The infant was immediately reunited with the biological parents, who were overwhelmed with joy and gratitude toward the police for their swift and professional handling of the case.
Commissioner Eribo used the opportunity to urge the public to remain vigilant and report any suspicious or unusual activity to the police. “This arrest was possible due to timely and credible information from members of the community. We ask that citizens continue to support our efforts to maintain peace and security,” he said.
The suspect is currently in custody and will be charged accordingly as the police continue their investigation into the matter.