Police begin probe of alleged child theft

The Enugu State Police Command on Thursday commenced investigation into the alleged stealing of a child by Mrs. Ifeoma

The Enugu State Police Command on Thursday commenced investigation into the alleged stealing of a child by Mrs. Ifeoma Ezeido.

Ezeido hails from Achi in Oji River Local Government Area of Enugu State but resides at Ninth Mile Corner, Ngwo, while the mother of the missing child, Mrs. Joy Aneke, is from Affa in Udi LGA and resides at Ninth Mile Corner, Enugu State.

Aneke, on January 18, 2012, alleged that her two-year-old child, Makuochukwu Aneke, had left for one Mrs. Grace Onyia’s compound the previous day, to play with his peers but did not return.

Following the development, she reported the incident to policemen at Ninth Mile Police Station, who quickly swung into action and later got a tip off that Ezeido was earlier seen with the said child.

The Police Public Relations Officer in Enugu State, Mr. Ebere Amaraizu, said, “Our source revealed that he saw Ezeido bath the child as well as fed him and later left with him, in company with a man, to an unknown destination.

“Consequent upon this, security operatives intensified their manhunt on likely places where the suspects could be arrested. The suspects were later arrested at Aba in Abia State and Port-Harcourt in Rivers State, after a fruitless search at Achi, the home town of Ezeido.”

According to Amaraizu, in their separate responses, Ezeido had said she never stole the child but stated that she wanted to assist the mother to take care of him, although without the consent of the mother.

“She however pleaded for forgiveness from the mother of the child. The man whom she left with was arrested in Aba and gave his name as Mr. Augustine Mnanu.”