For any parent, a crowded market can feel dangerous when a moment’s distraction happens. That is the message from the Enugu State Commissioner of Police, Mamman Bitrus Giwa, after a four-month-old baby was taken from Oye-Emene Market and later found safe.
Giwa urged parents and guardians to stay vigilant, particularly in crowded public places, to prevent similar incidents. He also commended the officers involved for their swift response and for recovering the child.
The baby was taken on October 20, 2026. According to police, 23-year-old Rejoice Odoh pretended to be a customer at the market, picked up the infant and ran off with him.
She reportedly took the baby to her relatives in Nkanu East and presented him as her own child.
Detectives tracked her down and recovered the baby on October 24, 2026, four days after he was taken.
Odoh later appeared before a Magistrate Court in Enugu State, where she pleaded guilty to conspiracy and child stealing. The court sentenced her to three years’ imprisonment on each count, with the sentences to run concurrently.
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