Wole Balogun, Ado-Ekiti
A 39-year-old woman, Mercy Momoh, has been arrested by operatives of Ekiti State Police Command for allegedly kidnapping a two-month-old baby in Ado-Ekiti.
The culprit, said to hail from Edo State, was arrested Saturday at her residence in Odo-Aremu, in the state capital.
The baby was stolen from his mother, Mrs Funmilayo Sunday, on Friday around 1 pm at the State Secretariat, it has been reported.
Daily Sun learnt that the suspect deceived the baby’s mother to follow her to the State Secretariat under the pretence of helping he collect some relief materials being offered by the government to flood victims.
The suspect, on getting there, sent the baby’s mother to help her buy a mobile service recharge card, then ran away with the baby before the baby’s mother returned.
Command spokesman Caleb Ikechukwu, who confirmed the arrest to reporters on Sunday in Ado-Ekiti, said investigation is on going.
“It is confirmed that the woman who stole the two-month-old baby has been arrested by the operatives of the Ekiti Police Command,” the police spokesman said.
“The suspect is Mercy Momoh, a 39-yr-old lady from Edo State. She was apprehended through intelligence made available to the police and would be prosecuted after conclusion of investigation.
“Investigation is still on going. More details will come to reveal what really transpired.
“The Nigeria Police would no longer reveal to the public the means which they effect the arrest of criminals because criminals these days now always take advantage of such information.
“And acting on that information on how they can be arrested they now devise other means of carrying-out their nefarious act without being arrested.
“All I can tell you is that the woman that stole the infant baby has been arrested and investigation is still ongoing
“We call on members of the public to be careful when dealing with strangers. The suspect was apparently nice to the victim, that was why she got the baby easily. Citizens should not be carried away by kind strangers,” Ikechukwu said.
A police source who spoke on condition of anonymity with The Nation newspaper said the police were informed of the incident by the mother of the baby on the same day at about 4:30 pm.
She disclosed that police detectives immediately swung into action, and on a tip off, traced the suspect to her residence, where she was arrested around 11 pm Saturday night.