The Kebbi State Police Command has arrested a 19-year-old woman in Zuru Local Government Area for allegedly stealing a newborn baby and presenting the child to her husband as her own.
The incident allegedly occurred on July 23, 2025, when the suspect visited Fatima Muhammad shortly after she had given birth.
In a Sunday statement by the command’s Public Relations Officer, SP Bashir Usman, said the suspect offered to help the new mother by fetching hot water but allegedly used the opportunity to flee with the newborn.
Preliminary investigations reportedly showed that the suspect had been under social and emotional pressure over her inability to have a child, particularly as some of her peers had already become mothers.
Police said she had allegedly deceived her husband for about nine months into believing that she was pregnant.
After allegedly taking the newborn, she reportedly presented the baby to her husband as their child.
Following sustained investigations, police arrested the suspect on August 14, 2026. The stolen baby was subsequently recovered and safely reunited with the biological mother.
The suspect remains in police custody and is expected to be charged to court after investigations are concluded, in accordance with applicable law.
The Commissioner of Police in Kebbi State, CP Umar Hadejia, commended the officers involved for their diligence and professionalism in recovering the baby and arresting the suspect.
Hadejia also assured residents that the command would continue to protect children and ensure that anyone found culpable is brought to justice.
