A Magistrate Court in Enugu State has sentenced a 23-year-old woman, Rejoice Odoh, to a total of six years’ imprisonment for conspiracy and stealing a four-month-old baby boy at Oye-Emene Market, Emene, Enugu.
The sentences, however, are to run concurrently, meaning the convict will spend three years in prison.
The Enugu State Police Command disclosed this in a statement issued on Thursday by its Police Public Relations Officer, SP Daniel Ndukwe, adding that Odoh was convicted on October 29, 2026, after pleading guilty to the offences.
According to the police, the incident occurred on October 20, at about 9 a.m., when the convict, who had earlier pretended to be a customer to the baby’s mother, offered to help carry the infant under the guise of going to purchase an item from a nearby shop.
She allegedly seized the opportunity to abscond with the baby.
The police said investigations revealed that Odoh subsequently switched off her mobile phone and conspired with her younger sister, who is currently at large, to present the stolen child to their family members at Ubahu, in Nkanu East Local Government Area, as her own.
Following a report of the incident and intelligence gathering, detectives from the State Intelligence Department, working with personnel of the Amechi-Idodo Police Division and members of the Neighbourhood Watch Group, arrested the suspect and recovered the baby at Idume, Amankanu, Nkanu East LGA.
The operation was carried out on October 24, at about 10:30 p.m., after which the child was reunited with his parents.
The police said the suspect was subsequently arraigned before the Enugu Magistrate Court and prosecuted by a police prosecutor from the Command’s Legal Section.
The court, after the convict pleaded guilty, sentenced her to three years’ imprisonment for conspiracy and another three years for child stealing, with the sentences to run concurrently.
Reacting to the development, the Commissioner of Police, Enugu State Command, Mamman Bitrus Giwa, commended the police personnel, Neighbourhood Watch Group members and prosecuting team for their contributions to the arrest, recovery of the child and successful prosecution of the case.
Giwa also appreciated the court for the speedy dispensation of justice, while urging parents and guardians to remain vigilant, prioritise the safety of their children and avoid entrusting them to people they do not know or trust.
He further advised members of the public to report cases of missing children promptly to the police.
