Police parade woman who absconded with friend’s 10-month-old baby

Okoro Julius

Police parade woman who absconded with friend’s 10-month-old baby

The Plateau State Police Command has paraded a woman, simply identified as Patience, who fled with her friend’s 10-month-old baby from the state to Lagos State.

According to available information, she took the baby, who has now been reunited with the parents, about one month ago.

Patience, who was paraded on Monday alongside 25 other suspects, said she turned herself in contrary to the position of the police that she was arrested.

She told newsmen: “I had no bad intention when I left with the baby.

“The mother of the baby is my friend and I love the baby so much.

“I did not tell the mother because I knew she would not agree so I had to go with the baby.

“While in Lagos, I was always calling, chatting or doing video calls with the mother showing her how the baby was doing, but because it was circulated on social media that I stole the baby, I had to go to the police in Lagos.

“They directed me on what to do.

“So when I arrived in Jos, the police here picked me up at the park.

“I came back on my own.

“I was not arrested.”

The baby’s mother, who was at the parade at the headquarters of the Plateau State Police Command in Jos, said; “We are living in the same compound and working in the same shop.

“She has been playing with the baby, but the day she left with her, she did not inform me.

“When I insisted she returned my baby, she said she just loved to stay with the baby.

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“She took care of the baby, but I did not permit her to go with her and I am happy to have my baby back.”

The Command’s Commissioner, CP Julius Okoro, who paraded the suspects, said they committed offences ranging from the kidnap of seven students of the University of Jos to culpable homicide, defilement, criminal conspiracy, rape, receiving of stolen property, armed robbery, vandalism and possession of illicit drugs.

Okoro said in a prepared statement: “It will be recalled that on 12/06/2023 at about 10pm, seven students of the University of Jos were kidnapped. The Command is pleased to inform you that one suspect Salisu Adamu ‘m’ 30 years, of Minta village; Bassa LGA has been arrested in connection to the kidnap. Further investigation conducted by the Commander, Anti-Kidnapping Unit revealed that the suspect is an escapee of the recent Jos Prison Jailbreak of 2020.

“The suspect confessed to the crime and mentioned some of his gang members who are currently on the run. Efforts are being intensified to arrest the fleeing suspects. On 09/08/2023 at about 12.30 pm, one Jumai Emmanuel ‘f’ of the Miango area of Bassa LGA chartered a driver, one Safiyanu Sulaiman ‘m’ to convey her goods from Saminaka market in Kaduna State to Jos. While they were travelling along Fuskan Mata forest, the driver pretended that the car developed a mechanical fault, but when he noticed that the passenger was calling another driver, he violently hit the victim with a log of wood on the head and she died on the spot.

“On 17/08/2023 at about 6.30 pm, the said Safiyanu Suleiman ‘m’ was traced and arrested by the DPO, Jengre Division, SP Tyem Cirdap while he was about to sell off the victim’s goods to one Sirajo Alhassan ‘m’. They were both arrested and on interrogation, the suspect confessed to the crime. Exhibits recovered from the suspects include the vehicle and some luggage belonging to the deceased woman. The discreet investigation is being finalized to charge the suspects to Court.

“On 19/08/2023 at about 6 am, one Danladi Gurumbagal ‘m’ of Bul village Jipal District reported at the Mangu Police Station that on 18/08/2023 at about 10.30 pm one Kanu Samuel, ‘m’ of the same address came to his house and informed him that while on his way back from Chakfem district with his elder brother one Danladi Dazun ‘m’ 50 years, of the same address, a group of unknown gunmen attacked them and killed his brother.

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“On receipt of the report, the DPO Mangu division, CSP Solomon Danja led a team of Policemen to the scene where they discovered the body of the deceased without the head and private parts. Further investigation led to the arrest of the following suspects; one Friday Yakubu, one Longul Dabor, one Sati Samuel, and one Yakubu Barnabas, all ‘m’ of Jipal District. The investigation is still in progress.

“On 24/08/2023 at about 5.30 pm one Mohammed Ango, ‘m’ of Yelwa Shendam reported to the Shendam Police Station that on 20/08/2023 at about 11 pm, four persons namely; one Asamu Ibrahim aged 21yrs and one Ali Hashimu aged 23yrs both ‘m’ of Yelwa Shendam, Plateau State and Wukari, Taraba State armed with guns, conspired and invaded his house in Yelwa Shendam, ransacked the house and not finding any valuables worth stealing, took his wife one Hajara Mohammed ‘f’ aged 28yrs to a nearby bush and raped her.

“On receipt of the report, gallant detectives led by the DPO, CSP Danladi Ringjwat swung into action and arrested the suspects together with two others namely; one Usman Yahaya ‘m’ aged 22yrs, one Idris Adamu ‘m’ aged 22yrs both of Shendam and Kanke LGA. Exhibits recovered from the suspects include; one Locally constructed AK47 rifle with five (5) 7.62 MM live ammunition, and one locally made pistol with three live ammunition.

“In the cause of interrogation, the suspects confessed to kidnapping a certain Igbo man in Enugu city about two weeks ago and collected a ransom of N4,500,000.00 (Four Million, Five Hundred Thousand Naira). They further confessed to having committed the offence together with four others, namely; one Mabe and one Puri, surnames unknown both ‘m’ of Enugu State now on the run. Efforts are being made to arrest the fleeing suspects. The case has been transferred to the State CID and the suspects will be charged to court on completion of investigation.

“We would not have achieved such tremendous successes without the cooperation and intelligence we have been receiving from the good and peace-loving citizens of Plateau State. For this, we are grateful. We have put in place a series of strategies to prevent crime and ensure the security of all lives and properties within the State. One of such measures is the intensification of efforts toward ensuring the arrest and due prosecution of criminals.”