A 23-year-old woman, Rejoice Odoh, has been sentenced to three years’ imprisonment for stealing a four-month-old baby boy at Oye-Emene Market, Emene, Enugu State.
The Enugu State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Daniel Ndukwe, disclosed this in a statement dated Thursday, October 29, 2026, saying the Enugu Magistrate Court convicted Odoh for conspiracy and child stealing after she pleaded guilty to the offences.
According to the statement, the incident occurred on October 20, 2026, at about 9 a.m., when Odoh allegedly took the baby from his mother under the guise of helping her carry him while she went to purchase an item from a nearby shop.
Police investigations revealed that the suspect had previously posed as a customer to the child’s mother before allegedly absconding with the infant. She reportedly switched off her phone afterwards and conspired with her younger sister, who is still at large, to present the baby to their family members in Ubahu, Nkanu East Local Government Area, as her own child.
Following a report of the incident and the gathering of technical intelligence, detectives from the Command’s State Intelligence Department, working with personnel of Amechi-Idodo Police Division and members of the Neighbourhood Watch Group, arrested Odoh and recovered the baby.
The child was found at Idume, Amankanu, in Nkanu East LGA, on October 24, 2026, at about 10:30 p.m., and was subsequently reunited with his parents.
After the investigation, Odoh was arraigned before the Enugu Magistrate Court and prosecuted by a police prosecutor from the Command’s Legal Section. She was convicted on October 29 after pleading guilty and sentenced to three years’ imprisonment for conspiracy and another three years for child stealing, with both sentences to run concurrently.
Reacting to the conviction, the Commissioner of Police, CP Mamman Bitrus Giwa, commended the officers, members of the Neighbourhood Watch Group and the prosecuting team for their roles in the arrest, recovery of the child and successful prosecution.
Giwa also appreciated the court for the expeditious dispensation of justice and urged parents and guardians to remain vigilant, prioritise their children’s safety and avoid leaving them in the care of untrusted persons.
He further advised members of the public to report missing-child incidents to the police promptly.
