Christmas festivities has turned out a huge misfortune for a
young couple, Mr. and Mrs. Ikechukwu Ufondu, after a strange woman stole their
two-month-old baby on the eve of Christmas at the Mohammadu Abubakar Rimi
Market in the state capital.
The father of the baby told Daily Sun in Kano that the baby boy,
who was born through an operation, was stolen from the mother, Mrs. Amarachi
Ufondu while she was plaiting the hair of another woman in the evening of
December 24. He gave the name of his missing son as Som Tochukwu Favour Ufondu,
saying he was just two months and two days old when he was stolen. The theft of
the baby, which had thrown the community into grief and confusion, had been
reported to the Market Police Station in the state, but it was unclear if the
police had commenced investigations as at press time.
The incident had also been reported to authorities of Our Lady
of Fatima Catholic Church in the state. The confused father, Mr. Ufondu said:
“I was in the market at about 5.35pm when my wife, who was plaiting hair at the
Yankura section of the market, called me to inform me that our two-month-old
baby had been stolen. “I was surprised and shocked and could not believe it.
Then, I immediately hired a Keke NAPEP (tricycle) to take me
home and upon my arrival at home, what I was told turned out to be true. In
fact, I initially refused her (mother of the baby) entry into the house, out of
anger, insisting that she should go and get our baby, but later, I calmed
down.” Explaining the circumstances that led to the disappearance of their
baby, he told Daily Sun: “My wife told me that she was plaiting the hair of a
customer, while her neighbour was fixing the nails of another woman nearby.
“When the baby started crying, she untied her from her back and
breastfed her. After breastfeeding the baby, just as she was about to return
the boy to her back, the woman whose nailed was being fixed counseled against
that, on the grounds that it was wrong to immediately back a baby that had just
been fed.” He added that following this suggestion, “the lady then offered to
help carry the baby saying that my wife was busy with the hair she was
plaiting, a suggestion my wife bought without suspicion, even though she
admitted she did not know the said lady.
“When they finished fixing the lady’s nails, she paid and
received her change. My wife then asked her to return the baby, but she replied
that she was not done with her nails yet. A few minutes after, she played a
trick on my wife by sending her on a false errand. “The lady asked my wife to
take a serious look at the hairstyle that was being made for another woman just
a stone throw away, promising that she would want the same hairstyle as soon as
she returned from the Christmas trip.
“That was all. My wife, unsuspicious of any ill motive, fell for
the dummy by stepping across to take an intent look at the hairstyle that was
being done by her colleague. By the time she turned, the purported Good
Samaritan had disappeared into the crowd in the market,” the father said. Mr
Ufondu, who was almost in tears through out the course of the interview
appealed to the woman to please return their baby while asking the public to
join them in prayers for the safety and quick return of their baby. He also
appealed to the commssioner of police to help arrest the woman who stole their
baby.
