Police in Lagos State are currently on a manhunt for the buyer of a baby stolen by a house help in the Shomolu area of the state.
The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, confirmed on Monday that the buyer abandoned the baby as the police closed in.
“In the early hours of Monday, the buyer abandoned the baby at Alade Market, Shomolu, because of intense manhunt and pressure from the police. The baby was promptly rescued by the police and has been handed over to her parents after they positively identified her,” Hundeyin stated.
The incident was brought to light by an X user, identified as @Simmm_K, who raised alarm in a Saturday post that a house help had absconded with her colleague’s baby.
“A house help ran away with my colleague’s baby this Saturday morning between 1 a.m. and 2 a.m. in Shomolu,” the X user posted, along with a picture of the teenage house help and the baby. @Simmm_K appealed to the police and the public for assistance in finding the baby and shared a telephone number to be reached if any information was available.
An update from @Simmm_K later revealed that the house help had been arrested in Ikorodu but without the baby. The house help confessed to selling the baby for N800,000.
Fortunately, in the early hours of Monday, @Simmm_K updated her post, stating that the baby had been found in Shomolu. “I’m glad to notify everyone that the baby was found this morning at Shomolu. Many thanks to everyone and the police for helping. The baby is united with the family,” she posted.