The Chief Magistrate Court in Ado-Ekiti, capital of Ekiti State, has ordered the remand of a 34-year-old woman, Deborah Ayeni, in prison custody over the alleged abduction of a newborn from a hospital maternity ward.
IREPORT247NEWS reported that the shocking incident took place on August 4, 2025, at Okeyimi Healthcare Centre, Ado-Ekiti, when the accused reportedly gained unauthorized access to the maternity ward and left the hospital with the infant.
Police operatives launched a discreet investigation following reports of the missing baby. Deborah was later traced, arrested, and the stolen child was successfully recovered from her residence. The baby has since been reunited with the rightful parents, Mustapha Aliyu and Salmatu Lawal, who expressed relief and gratitude for the swift police intervention.
During Ekiti State Police Command interrogation, Deborah allegedly confessed to committing the act. She revealed that she had faked a pregnancy for years to deceive her boyfriend, who lives in the United Kingdom. The man, believing she was carrying his child, had been sending her money regularly. Matters took a turn when he disclosed his plans to return to Nigeria to meet her and the supposed baby.
Faced with the imminent exposure of her deceit, Deborah narrated how she hatched the plan. “On that Sunday morning, I stuffed clothes under my dress to appear heavily pregnant and entered the hospital, posing as an expectant mother.
“I observed that the baby’s mother was from the North, and since I speak Hausa, I engaged both parents in warm conversation. When the husband left to buy some items, he even asked me to watch over his wife and their newborn.”
She further explained the final moments before the abduction. “By around 5 a.m. on Monday, I noticed the mother was asleep and no nurses were in sight. I quietly picked up the baby and walked out without raising suspicion,” she recounted.
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In court, Police Prosecutor Akinwale Oriyomi argued that there was sufficient evidence to justify her remand at the Ado-Ekiti Correctional Service. He informed the court that the case fell under Section 292 of the Criminal Law of Ekiti State, 2021, which prescribes punishment for such offences within the Ado-Ekiti Magisterial District.
Oriyomi added that the duplicate case file had been forwarded to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for legal advice. The defendant, represented by Stephen Ademuwagun, listened as Chief Magistrate Abayomi Adeosun granted the prosecution’s application for remand. The matter was adjourned until September 12, 2025, for mention.