By Princess Simon (Bureau Chief North Central, in Minna)
The police in Niger state said it has recovered a six months old baby, Chinedu Samson, about three days after he was declared missing from his mothers’ shop in Minna.
The police said the missing child was found at an erosion channel in Gauraka, Tafa Local Government Area of the state.
Little Chinedu according to NIGERIAN NEWSLEADER Newspaper report, was taken away from his mothers’ shop at the Minna Central Market (Kure market) by a woman wearing hijab that had approached the mother who runs a hair dressing salon for an apprenticeship.
While they were yet to settle for a date for her to commence work, the yet to be identified woman whom they claimed was unknown to them as they were yet to take her details, soon got attracted to little Chinedu.
It was further learnt that while the mother was busy attending to customers, the supposed apprentice took the child who was then crying and needed the mothers’ attention and started playing with him pacing to and from the busy shop.
Apparently waiting till the time nobody was paying attention, the woman sneaked out from the shop and disappeared with the child who has now been found abandoned at a refuse dump in Gauraka, near Suleja.
Meanwhile, the police in a statement signed by the Command’s Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Wasiu A. Abiodun, for the Commissioner of Police Niger State Command confirmed that little Chinedu have been found alive.
“Recall that on 23/07/2023, a baby of about six months old named, Chinedu Samson was allegedly taken away by a yet to be identified person from the mother's shop at Kure market Minna, as reported by the mother at the GRA Division on 25/07/2023”.
A case of abduction of baby was immediately documented and transferred to the SCID Minna, while Anti-Kidnapping Unit of the Command acted swiftly, commenced investigation with the aid of technical intelligences.
According to the statement, “Fortunately, today being 26/07/2023 at about 1230hrs, due to sustained pressure and close monitoring, the baby was found abandoned at an erosion ditch, close to a primary school at Gauraka town, Tafa Local Government Area”.
Little Chinedu, according to the statement, was taken to a nearby health facility for medical examination and confirmed to be in good health condition and subsequently reunited with his family.
The state police spokesman however stated that efforts were ongoing to apprehend the fleeing perpetrator of the crime to face the wrath of the law even as the Commissioner of Police, Ogundele J. Ayodeji, has called on the citizenry to be more security conscious.
While appreciating the support and concerns of Nigerlites without which it wouldn’t have been possible to recover the child, the Police Commissioner, according to the statement, challenged parents and guardians to be more careful and avoid entrusting their children to total strangers. NNL.
