Operatives of Ekiti State Police Command have recovered the newborn stolen on Monday from the Primary Health Centre at Okeyinmi in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital.
LEADERSHIP gathered also that a 34- year-old lady, Deborah Ayeni, the suspected perpetrator of the child theft was also arrested
Addressing newsmen at the police headquarters in Ado-Ekiti, on Wednesday evening, Commissioner of Police, Ekiti state Command, CP Joseph Eribo, narrated that the police received a distress call between 5:30 and 6:am to report the incident on Monday.
Eribo said the police swiftly mobilised to the scene after an alarm was raised to unravel the situation at the medical facility.
“It was discovered that the mother of the baby just went to the convenience and before she came back the baby disappeared.
“It was also discovered that there was a lady, who pretended to be pregnant and awaiting delivery, who was in the same ward, not knowing that she had a fake pregnancy, just to deceive the people around to enable her carried out the dastardly act,” he said.
The CP added that the suspect later took the baby away to an unknown destination, throwing the parents into panic. “But we assured them that we will do our best to ensure that the baby is recovered.
Narrating how his men apprehended the suspected culprit, the CP said, “The DPO and our personnel in the area did a very good job. On getting to the scene of the incident, they saw something that looks like a nylon bag, they pick it up and saw cotton wool and a receipt, where the cotton wool was purchased from a popular supermarket, here in Ado-Ekiti. So, our men has to rush over to the supermarket. Luckily, the have CCTV and it was played back and a lady and three other men in the CCTV, which gave us a clue to start hunting for the lady.”
Fielding questions from journalist, the suspect identified as Ayeni, confessed that she perpetrate the crime to ensure that her United Kingdom-based husband stick to her.
She acknowledged not to be legally married, but held her families’ introduction last year November and that she just wanted to take the baby boy as hers.
According to her, “I did it because I need a baby. I went to the hospital Sunday evening. When I got to the hospital, I was playing with the mother of the baby and in the morning, I was carrying the baby and I later took the baby away around 4am in the morning.
“Before my husband travelled out last year, he knew I was pregnant but I later lost the pregnancy around March. But I didn’t tell my husband that I lost the pregnancy because he is not around as he is based in United Kingdom. My fear is that he may leave me if I tell him that I have lost the pregnancy.”
The father of the newborn, Mustapha Aliyu said the lady took the baby away when he went to the mosque to pray.
