Kebbi Police Arrest 19-Year-Old Woman Over Alleged Theft of Newborn Baby
Kola Oyelere Kano
The Kebbi State Police Command has arrested a 19-year-old woman, Khadija Ibrahim, for allegedly stealing a newborn baby in Zuru Local Government Area of the state and presenting the child to her husband as her own.
According to a statement issued on Sunday by the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Bashir Usman, the incident occurred on July 23, 2025, when Ibrahim, of Rikoto, Zuru LGA, allegedly visited Fatima Muhammad shortly after she gave birth.
The suspect was said to have offered to fetch hot water to assist the new mother but allegedly fled with the newborn instead.
The police said preliminary investigations indicated that the suspect had allegedly been under social and emotional pressure over her inability to have a child, particularly as some of her peers had already given birth.
She allegedly deceived her husband for about nine months into believing that she was pregnant and, following the birth of Muhammad’s baby, allegedly took the child and presented it to him as their own.
The Command said sustained investigation led to Ibrahim’s arrest on August 14, 2026, while the stolen baby was recovered and safely reunited with the biological mother.
The suspect remains in police custody and will be charged to court after the conclusion of investigations in accordance with the law.
The Commissioner of Police, CP Umar M. Hadejia, commended the police operatives for their diligence and professionalism in securing the safe return of the baby and apprehending the suspect.
He assured residents that the Command would continue to protect children and ensure that anyone found culpable of such offences is brought to justice.
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