Lost but found day-old baby
ABIA- A middle aged woman has been arrested for allegedly stealing a one-day old baby.
The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Mr Geoffrey Ogbonna, confirmed the arrest to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Umuahia.
He said that the suspect was caught at Nkata Ibeku area of Umuahia where she cuddled the little baby with cloth in her room.
The suspect is said to have been married for more than seven years to a man working in a construction company but they are yet to be blessed with a child.
Mr Augustine Samuel, the father of the stolen child, told NAN that, his wife, Uchemma, was delivered of a baby boy on Nov. 10 at about 7. 30 a.m at a hospital on Enugu/Udi Street, Umuahia.
Samuel said about 7. a.m the next morning, his wife left the child on her hospital bed to have a bath, but discovered on her return that her baby had disappeared.
“When I got to the hospital a few minutes later, we searched everywhere in and around the hospital but were unable to find the baby.From the hospital, I moved straight to our church and cried on to the Lord in prayer and the next day, police sent information to us to come and recover our baby,” he said.
Ogbonna told NAN that the stolen baby was recovered at Nkata Ibeku following information to the police by a responsible Nigeria.
The PPRO also said that the suspect had earlier claimed she adopted the child from a hospital, but later confessed she stole the baby from Anelechi Hospital due to alleged pressure from the husband.
Ogbonna, who condemned the act, commended the informer, and urged Nigerians to also partner with the police to fight crime in the country.
He said that the matter was still being handled by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the Police Command.
He said that the suspect would be charged to court when investigation has been completed