Court jails woman three years for stealing four-month-old baby

A 23-year-old woman, Rejoice Odoh, has been sentenced to three years’ imprisonment for stealing a four-month-old baby boy at Oye-Emene Market in Emene, Enugu State.

Odoh was convicted by the Enugu Magistrate Court on October 29, 2026, after pleading guilty to charges of conspiracy and child stealing.

The Enugu State Police Command disclosed this in a statement issued on Thursday by its Public Relations Officer, SP Daniel Ndukwe.

According to the police, the incident occurred on October 20, at about 9:00 a.m., when the suspect allegedly exploited her familiarity with the baby’s mother to abduct the child.

Police investigations revealed that Odoh had earlier approached the mother under the guise of being a customer. On the day of the incident, she reportedly offered to assist in carrying the baby while the mother went to a nearby shop to purchase an item.

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However, instead of returning the child, the suspect allegedly fled with him.

The police said Odoh subsequently switched off her phone and conspired with her younger sister, who is currently at large, to present the baby to their family members at Ubahu, Nkanu East Local Government Area, as her own child.

Following a report of the incident and intelligence gathering, detectives from the State Intelligence Department, in collaboration with personnel of the Amechi-Idodo Police Division and members of the Neighbourhood Watch Group, launched an operation to locate the suspect and rescue the child.

The operation led to Odoh’s arrest and the recovery of the baby at Idume, Amankanu, in Nkanu East LGA, on October 24, at about 10:30 p.m.

The rescued child was subsequently reunited with his parents.

Upon the conclusion of investigations, the suspect was arraigned before the Enugu Magistrate Court and prosecuted by a police prosecutor from the Command’s Legal Section.

The court sentenced her to three years’ imprisonment for conspiracy and another three years for child stealing. The sentences are to run concurrently, meaning she will serve a total of three years in prison.

The Commissioner of Police urged parents and guardians to remain vigilant and prioritise the safety of their children, warning against entrusting them to individuals whose reliability and trustworthiness have not been established.

He also advised members of the public to promptly report cases of missing children to the police to facilitate swift intervention and recovery.