A 34-year-old lady, identified simply as Deborah, has been arrested by the Ekiti State Police Command for allegedly stealing a newborn baby from a primary health centre (PHC) in the state capital just to cover up her lies.
The incident, which occurred at the Okeiyinmi Primary Healthcare Centre in Ado-Ekiti, threw the community into confusion after a mother who had just delivered discovered that her baby was missing.
The newborn was reportedly stolen less than 20 hours after birth, causing panic among staff and patients in the facility.
Deborah was tracked and arrested in her residence located along Afao Road in Ado-Ekiti, following a tip-off received by officers of the Ekiti State Police Command.
She admitted that she committed the crime because she had been lying to her boyfriend, who resides in the United Kingdom, that she was pregnant.
According to the police, Deborah had carefully planned the act and carried it out while pretending to be a relative of a patient at the facility.
She gained access to the maternity ward, took advantage of the lax security, and fled with the baby undetected.
When paraded at the police headquarters, Deborah confessed to stealing the baby and expressed deep regret over her actions.
According to Deborah, her boyfriend had sent her money multiple times to support the alleged pregnancy, believing her claims to be true.
Deborah explained that her boyfriend recently informed her of his plans to travel back to Nigeria to see her and meet the child.
Faced with the fear of being exposed, she decided to steal a baby to maintain the lie she had been living for months.
She added that she had no intention of harming the baby and was only trying to protect her relationship.
Deborah said, “I planned the act to steal the baby because I had lied to my man, who is based in the UK, that I was pregnant for months.
“So, when the man decided that he was coming home to visit me and knowing full well I had been deceiving him to collect money for years.”
The police spokesperson assured the public that the baby had been rescued and returned safely to the biological mother, who was overwhelmed with emotions upon seeing her child again.
He added that the suspect would be charged to court after the completion of investigations.
The police reiterated their commitment to ensuring justice was served and urged the public to always report suspicious activities within their communities to help maintain safety and order.
