A mum’s Xmas agony: 2-month-old baby stolen in market
Christmas festivities has turned out a huge misfortune for a young
couple, Mr. and Mrs. Ikechukwu Ufondu, after a strange woman stole their
two-month-old baby on the eve of Christmas at the Mohammadu Abubakar
Rimi Market in the state capital.
The father of the baby told Daily Sun in Kano that the baby boy, who was born through an operation, was
stolen from the mother, Mrs. Amarachi Ufondu while she was plaiting the
hair of another woman in the evening of December 24. He gave the name
of his missing son as Som Tochukwu Favour Ufondu, saying he was just two
months and two days old when he was stolen. The theft of the baby,
which had thrown the community into grief and confusion, had been
reported to the Market Police Station in the state, but it was unclear
if the police had commenced investigations as at press time.
The incident had also been reported to authorities of Our Lady of Fatima
Catholic Church in the state. The confused father, Mr. Ufondu said: “I
was in the market at about 5.35pm when my wife, who was plaiting hair at
the Yankura section of the market, called me to inform me that our
two-month-old baby had been stolen. “I was surprised and shocked and
could not believe it.
Then, I immediately hired a Keke NAPEP
(tricycle) to take me home and upon my arrival at home, what I was told
turned out to be true. In fact, I initially refused her (mother of the
baby) entry into the house, out of anger, insisting that she should go
and get our baby, but later, I calmed down.” Explaining the
circumstances that led to the disappearance of their baby, he told Daily
Sun: “My wife told me that she was plaiting the hair of a customer,
while her neighbour was fixing the nails of another woman nearby.
“When the baby started crying, she untied her from her back and
breastfed her. After breastfeeding the baby, just as she was about to
return the boy to her back, the woman whose nailed was being fixed
counseled against that, on the grounds that it was wrong to immediately
back a baby that had just been fed.” He added that following this
suggestion, “the lady then offered to help carry the baby saying that my
wife was busy with the hair she was plaiting, a suggestion my wife
bought without suspicion, even though she admitted she did not know the
said lady.
“When they finished fixing the lady’s nails, she
paid and received her change. My wife then asked her to return the baby,
but she replied that she was not done with her nails yet. A few minutes
after, she played a trick on my wife by sending her on a false errand.
“The lady asked my wife to take a serious look at the hairstyle that was
being made for another woman just a stone throw away, promising that
she would want the same hairstyle as soon as she returned from the
Christmas trip.
“That was all. My wife, unsuspicious of any ill
motive, fell for the dummy by stepping across to take an intent look at
the hairstyle that was being done by her colleague. By the time she
turned, the purported Good Samaritan had disappeared into the crowd in
the market,” the father said. Mr Ufondu, who was almost in tears through
out the course of the interview appealed to the woman to please return
their baby while asking the public to join them in prayers for the
safety and quick return of their baby. He also appealed to the
commssioner of police to help arrest the woman who stole their baby.
DAILYSUN
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