An Enugu Magistrate Court has sentenced a 23-year-old woman, Rejoice Odoh, to three years’ imprisonment for stealing a four-month-old baby boy at Oye-Emene Market in Emene, Enugu State.
The Enugu State Police Command disclosed this in a statement signed by its Public Relations Officer, SP Daniel Ndukwe, on Thursday.
According to the police, Odoh was convicted of conspiracy and child stealing after pleading guilty to the offences. The court sentenced her to three years for conspiracy and another three years for child stealing, with both sentences ordered to run concurrently.
The incident occurred on October 20, 2026, at about 9 a.m. Investigation revealed that the suspect, who had previously posed as a customer to the child’s mother, took the baby under the guise of helping to carry him while the mother went to purchase an item from a nearby shop, but absconded with him.
Detectives from the State Intelligence Department, working with personnel of the Amechi-Idodo Police Division and members of the Neighbourhood Watch Group, arrested Odoh and recovered the baby at Idume, Amankanu, in Nkanu East Local Government Area on October 24.
The child has since been reunited with his parents.
The Commissioner of Police, Mamman Bitrus Giwa, commended the officers and other individuals involved in the arrest, recovery of the child and successful prosecution of the case.
AbdulBasit Saba is a journalist and contributor to Freelanews.com, covering news, business, and public affairs.
