Man That Kidnapped 7 months old baby napped in Lagos

The Lagos State Police Command has arrested a suspected child kidnapper, Happiness Umah, for allegedly stealing a seven-month-old child, Favour, in the Ijora area of the state.

Via Punch Metro

Umah was escaping with the child when he was intercepted by officials of the Rapid Response Squad, who queried him on where he got the child.

He was alleged to have initially lied that he was her father, before saying he picked her from a bush where she was crying.

The police were said to have transferred the matter to the Gender Office, Lagos State Police Command.

A source told our correspondent that investigation revealed that the child was stolen from her mother.

The source said, "Around 11pm on Wednesday, RRS officials who were on routine patrol at Eric Moore, Surulere, intercepted the man with the child.

"When he was queried on how he came about the child, he first said he was her father. Later, he changed his story and said he picked her up from a bush while she was crying.  He said he was taking her to a police station in Bode Thomas when the police intercepted him.

"It was obvious that he was lying because there is a police station a few metres away from where he supposedly picked up the child. He changed his story and said other things, which made the RRS men to send him to the command headquarters."

It was learnt that the police later took him to the Ijora area, where the child's mother, Patricia John, was found.

John was reported to have said her child was stolen while she was away.

A source said, "The woman said she left the child in the room and went out to buy something and by the time she returned, the child was gone.  She said she had searched everywhere for her.

"We are still investigating to know why he stole the baby."

The Police Public Relations Officer, SP Dolapo Badmos, who confirmed the incident, said the mother and her child had been reunited.

She said, "The mother and her child live in the Railway area of Ijora. The man was going with the child when he was arrested by the RRS operatives and questioned. When he could not give a satisfactory response as to where he found the child, he was arrested.