Serial newborn kidnapper arrested during name, appeal to Nigerians

A woman identified as Funmi Mogbojuri allegedly stole a day-old baby at the Sabo area of Okitipupa, Ondo, and ferried the baby to Sagamu, Ogun, for naming.

 The 35-year-old was, however, arrested during the naming, according to Ondo’s Police Public Relations Officer, Funmilayo Odunlami.

 “One Abass Issah of Arikawe Street, Okitipupa, came to the station and reported that his new-born baby was stolen by unknown persons. Discreet investigation by the Okitipupa Divisional Policemen led to the arrest of Funmi Mogbojuri, who absconded with the baby to Makun, Sagamu in Ogun State,” she said Thursday.

“During interrogation, she confessed to have absconded with the baby to her husband’s house. It was also discovered that she had earlier stolen another baby on the 16th of January, 2021, in Okitipupa, took the child to Igbokoda and gave him to one Lucky and said the child died few days later.”

The suspect, a mother of two, confessed and pleaded for forgiveness.

“It was not intentional. I will just beg Nigerians to forgive me. Truly, I stole the child and I did that in order to be taking good care of the child. I have given birth before, but I never had child for the husband I’m presently with. I just like the child, that’s why I abducted the child because I have not conceived for my present husband.

“The husband I married now did not know anything about the situation, I lied to him that I was pregnant. This would be the second time I will abduct a child so I’m just pleading for forgiveness.”

The mother of the baby, Binta Alhassan, who also spoke on the incident, stated that Mogbojuri came to their house because she was very familiar with their house and requested to pass the night in her house on the day she gave birth to the baby.

 “She had a friend in our house before who she always visited but the man is no more living in our house. That is how we knew her. She came in the evening of the day I put to bed that she was stranded in Okitipupa and had no place to sleep.

“We allowed her to spend the night in one of the vacant rooms; we even gave her food to eat that night, not knowing that she had a mission. To my surprise, the following morning, while on my way from the bathroom, the woman had disappeared with the baby which I had not breastfed by then. It was after five days that the police found and arrested her.”

The PRO said the suspect would be charged to court as soon as investigation was concluded on the matter.