Operatives of the Kebbi State Police Command have picked up a 19-year-old woman accused of snatching a newborn baby in Zuru Local Government Area.
According to a statement released by the command and reported by Sahara Reporters, the case started on July 23, 2025. The young woman visited Fatima Muhammad shortly after Fatima gave birth. She told Fatima she wanted to help by getting hot water.
Police say she never came back. She reportedly left the house with the baby instead.
After a long search, officers tracked her down and arrested her on August 14, 2026. The infant was found alive and safely returned to Fatima.
Investigators said the suspect had been facing pressure because she had no child. To hide this, she allegedly told her husband she was pregnant for about nine months. When she saw the opportunity, she took Fatima’s baby and presented it to her husband as their own child.
“She made her husband believe she was expecting,” police spokesman SP Bashir Usman said. “When Fatima delivered, she allegedly took the newborn and told her husband it was theirs.”
The teenager is being held by police. Authorities said she will face court action once the investigation is done.
CP Umar Hadejia, the Commissioner of Police in Kebbi, commended the officers for finding the baby and arresting the suspect. He promised that the command will keep working to protect children and make sure offenders are brought to justice. The police made the announcement on August 16, 2026.
