Couple apprehended after stealing mentally ill woman’s baby in Osun

A couple has been remanded in Police custody over an attempt to abduct a 6-day-old baby from a mentally deranged mother.

The Osun State Police Command has apprehended a couple, Ganiyat Abass and Olatunbosun Ajibola for allegedly stealing a 6-day-old baby from his 23-year-old mentally ill mother, Jemilat Musa at Agbele’s Compound, Iwo, of the said state.

At about 8:30 pm, the couple was arrested on Friday, March 25, and paraded at the Osun State Police Command headquarters, Osogbo denied stealing the baby.

Despite several denials by the first suspect, Ganiyat, police had stated that the baby was found stuffed in a shopping bag after an alarm was raised of a missing child.

According to the suspect, Ganiyat she was a friend to the lactating mother as she acclaimed that she clothed and fed Jemilat while she was still pregnant.

She further added that she had taken the baby to her husband’s new apartment for a visit.

However her husband, Olatunbosun denied knowing anything about the incident and claimed that his wife, Ganiyat told him she was pregnant instead and constantly demanded money for a scan from him which he always gave her.

In another twist, lactating mother, Jemilat’s mother denied knowledge of the suspect adding that they did not know her as all she wanted to do was to steal the newborn baby.

The Osun Commissioner of Police, Olawale Olokode in a statement said,

”Ganiyat Abass and Olatunbosun Ajibola, were arrested on the 24th March, 2022 at about 2030hrs. The complainant reported at Iwo Division that, the above-named suspects connived and stole a six-day-old baby girl from the lactating mother who is mentally challenged, by name Jemilat Musa ‘f’ 23yrs, residing at Agbele’s compound Iwo.

“The first suspect went to the apartment of the mother pretending to be her sister-in-law, trickly gave her some wraps of cornmeal and sum of N200 to go and buy bean cake (Moi-Moi). Shortly after the baby’s mother left to buy the bean cake, the suspect quickly put the baby inside a sack and ran away. Suspects were arrested at the early hours of today 25th March 2022 in collaboration with the civilian JTF.

“During interrogation, they confessed to the crime. Suspects will be charged to court after the completion of investigations.”