Nigerian Police Dismiss Inspector For Stealing Day-Old Baby

The Police Command in Lagos State has approved the dismissal of Insp. Samuel Ukpabio, over alleged baby theft.

The command’s spokes­person, SP Benjamin Hunde­yin, announced the dismissal on his verified Twitter handle on Thursday, July 6, 2023.

It would be recalled that a 35-year-old woman, For­tune Obhafuoso, accused Ukpabio, who was attached to Panti Division, of conniv­ing with others to steal her day-old baby.

The single mother of three claimed that Ukpabio arrested her, accused her of attempting to sell the baby for N3 million, and forced her to write a statement to that effect.

Obhafuoso, who claimed that she gave birth on Decem­ber 22, 2022, said the following day, Ukpabio forcefully took away the baby and gave him to an unidentified woman.

She disclosed that she was given N185,000 and threat­ened by Ukpabio never to return for the child or he will arrest her and take the remaining two children from her.

She eventually reported the matter to a rights activist, Dr Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi, the Founding Director, Wom­en Advocates, Research and Documentation Centre, who petitioned security agents to wade into the issue.

Hundeyin, however, stat­ed: “The recommendation for the dismissal of Inspector Samuel Ukpabio has been ap­proved.