Stolen Baby Reunites with Mother, Culprit Arrested
Segun Awofadeji in Bauchi
Ibrahim Mohammed, who was 8-day-old when he was stolen from the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital (ATBUTH), Bauchi, on September 21, 2022, has been found and the suspect arrested by security agencies.
The baby was reunited with his twin and mother yesterday at the hospital.
THISDAY checks revealed that the suspect took the baby to her village after spending a night in Nasarawa community in Bauchi before proceeding to Dull in Tafawa Balewa Local Government Area of Bauchi State.
She claimed that she gave birth to the baby, a development her husband was said to have quickly rejected, and asked her to return the baby from wherever she took him from.
A source, who spoke to THISDAY yesterday under the condition of anonymity, revealed that the suspect’s mate had heard about the incidence of a missing baby from ATBUTH as published in various media outlets, so she raised the alarm and the matter was reported to security agents in the area.
The DSS operatives visited the area and embarked on a house-to-house search where they found the baby and the suspect, who was immediately arrested and is currently at the DSS custody.
The suspect, while confessing, said she had never given birth, noting that she stole the baby due to the mockery she receives from her mate, her in-laws and others.
The mother of the baby, Bilkisu Alhassan, said the woman, shortly before stealing her baby, told her that she observed that the baby was not having enough breast milk and needed to be fed with milk that will give the twins the needed nutrients.
According to her, the woman assured her that she had spoken with a doctor at the paediatric ward who promised to get the milk and other baby foods for her.
“I told her that the father had bought milk for them but she insisted that it was not those ones, and that they needed something better,”Alhassan said.
She asked the mother about the elder twin in which she pointed to Ibrahim.
“She told me that she was taking him to the children examination room. I did not know her, but I just trusted her, but I told her to wait for my mother in-law to come but she just went away,” she added.
While confirming that the baby had been found, the management of ATBUTH Bauchi, said the 14-day-old twin baby stolen from the hospital was recovered in Bauchi.
The Chairman of the Medical Advisory Committee of the ATBUTH, Dr. Haruna Liman, stated during the handing over of the stolen baby to the mother last Tuesday in Bauchi that the twin baby was stolen from the mother in the hospital eight days ago after she gave birth to a set of twins.
He said: “The baby was stolen on September 21, 2022, by 4:30 p.m. from the mother who is receiving treatment in the hospital. The baby boy was rescued today (September 27) around 1 a.m. in good health.
“We appreciate Allah and the efforts put in by the internal security of the hospital, the Department of Security Services (DSS), the police and other security agencies in recovering the baby.”
Liman said security agencies have already arrested a woman suspected to have carrying out the dastardly act.
“She is with the DSS undergoing interrogation, and that is all we know after the security agencies have handed over the baby to the hospital management,” he said.
The management then handed over the two weeks old twin baby boy to the mother who was immediately placed in breastmilk.
The chairman explained that the management would review the security architecture of the hospital, as well as install more security technology devices in the hospital.
Also, the District Head of Bauchi, who is also the Chairman, League of Friends ATBUTH, Alhaji Nura Adamu Jumba, urged the management of the hospital to review the security mechanism of the hospital in earnest to avoid reoccurrence.
