Two month Old Baby Stolen From Mother in Badagary has Been Found

A two month old baby, identified as Kudus Adebowale has been reportedly abducted by a customer at the Badagry Roundabout market area of Lagos State. The mother of the infant, Alimat Adebowale sells biscuit in the market.

The suspected abductor has been identified simply as T-girl. PunchMetro learnt that T-girl is well known to most of the traders in the area and has reportedly lived in the community for over four years until a few months ago when she traveled. She was said to have returned last week to the community and was greeted with warmth from the community members.

It was discovered that she approached Alimat, who was breastfeeding the baby. She then took the child under the pretense of playing with him, strapped Kudus to her back afterwards and sat on a chair behind his mother, who was busy attending to customers.

“Nobody knew when she (T-girl) disappeared from the market with the baby. The mother had looked back to check on Kudus, when she discovered that she had left the market with her child. We called her number, but she didn’t pick our calls. That was when it occurred to us that she had stolen the baby. I don’t really blame Iya Kudus. She thought the child was in a safe hand because almost everybody here knows T-girl. She would come to buy things here and play with us. She is from Ibadan (Oyo State) and had lived here for more than four years before she traveled some months ago. She came back last week” Said Kemi Agboola, a bread seller in the market.

Kayode Paul, who is a resident in the area,as also told correspondents that the incident had been reported at the Badagry Police Station. T-girl was arrested in Ibadan after some passengers with whom she boarded a bus en route to the Oyo State capital raised the alarm that she was with a crying baby whom she refused to breastfeed. When she gave in to the demands of the passengers to feed the child, the baby did not accept her breasts which made them raise the alarm. She was taken to the Yemetu Police Station in Ibadan, and she eventually confessed to have stolen the baby in Badagry.

Alimat, the shaken mother who also spoke with our correspondent on the telephone on Saturday, said she had been reunited with her baby. She stated that she had initially declined to give Kudus to T-girl.

“People were playing with my baby that day when she said I should also allow her to take him, but I refused. She asked if she had offended me and pleaded that I should let her carry him. I suddenly discovered that I didn’t see her again and people joined me to search for her to no avail. My child was two months old that day. The woman used to come here to buy drinks and play with us. I am now with my baby. We will return to Lagos on Monday” She said

The police in Ibadan said T-girl gave her real name as Yetunde Awosanya, and identified herself as Alimat’s friend. She said she traveled with the baby with the consent of his mother. But after interrogation, it turned out that she was lying. The case will be transferred to Lagos disclosed the source.

The Police Public Relations Officer, Lagos State Command, Dolapo Badmos, who confirmed the recovery of the child, said the suspect would be transferred to the command for further investigations.