A woman has been arrested for allegedly stealing an eight-day-old twin, Ibrahim Mohammed, from the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital, Bauchi.
The suspect reportedly disguised as a nurse in the hospital to steal the baby on September 21. The DSS however rescued the child on Tuesday and arrested the suspect.
According to sources, the suspect allegedly stole the baby because of the frustration from the constant mockery by her co-wife and family members of the husband over her childlessness.
It was gathered that the suspect took the baby home to her village in Dull, Tafawa Balewa Local Government Area of the state saying that she had given birth to the baby.
The husband was said to have outrightly rejected the baby and told her to return the child from wherever she took him from.
It was further revealed that having heard about the incident of a missing baby from ATBUTH in the media, her mate raised the alarm and the matter was reported to security agents in the area.
“On getting the lead,” a source quoted by PUNCH said, “security operatives from the DSS visited the area and embarked on a search of house to house where they found the baby and the thief who was immediately arrested. She is currently with the DSS being interrogated.
“In her confession, it was discovered that the suspect has never given birth and said that she stole the baby due to the mockery she receives from her mate and other members of her husband’s family.”
Narrating how the baby was stolen from her, the twins’ mother, Bilkisu Alhassan, said that the culprit came and told her that she observed that the baby was not having enough breast milk and needed to be fed with milk mixed with other nutrients.
According to her, the woman assured her that she had spoken with a doctor in the children’s ward who promised to get the milk and other baby foods for her.
“I told her that the father had bought the food for them but she said that it was not those ones they needed but something better.
“She asked me which among the babies is the senior and I showed her Ibrahim. She then stretched her hands and carried him. She told me that she was taking him to the children’s examination room.
“I did not know her but I kind of trusted her, I told her to wait for my mother-in-law to come but she just went away with him,” Alhassan narrated.
Chairman of the medical advisory committee of ATBUTH, Dr Haruna Liman, confirmed that the baby had been found.
