The Commissioner of Police in Ekiti State, Joseph Eribo, has confirmed the recovery of the newborn baby who was stolen from a hospital in Ado-Ekiti on Monday.
The baby was reunited with the parents, 29-year-old Mustapha Aliyu and 22-year-old Salmatu Lawal, after a swift police operation, reports Daily Trust.
According to Eribo, the breakthrough came after a reliable informant contacted a senior police officer, expressing suspicion about a woman she believed might be linked to the abduction she had heard about in the news.
Further investigation led police officers to a bag left behind at the hospital. The bag contained cotton wool and a receipt from a popular supermarket.
CCTV footage from the supermarket revealed a woman and a group of men, helping police to identify and arrest the suspect.
The police explained that the suspect had faked a pregnancy and pretended to be awaiting delivery at the hospital. She seized the opportunity to steal the baby when the mother stepped away briefly.
Speaking to journalists, the suspect, Miss Deborah Ayeni, confessed to the crime.
She said she had lost her pregnancy in March and feared her UK-based husband might leave her, prompting her to steal the baby. She admitted to spending the night at the hospital and bonding with the baby before abducting him.
The baby’s father, Mustapha Aliyu, expressed gratitude to Allah for the safe return of his child and commended the police for their quick response and diligent work.
He explained that the baby was taken while he had briefly left the hospital to buy some items for his wife.
