The family of Mr. and Mrs. Ikechukwu Ufondu will regrettably keep this year’s Christmas in their memories as an unidentified woman absconded with their two-month-old baby on the eve of Christmas at the popular Mohammadu Abubakar Rimi Market in Kano state.
According to the embittered father of the stolen baby, identified as Somtochukwu Favour Ufondu, the little boy who was delivered through a Caesarian operation was stolen from his wife, Mrs Amarachi in a market square while she was busy plaiting the hair of another woman on that fateful 24th evening.
The sad incident has since thrown the entire community into heavy pandemonium.
Narrating the ugly incident, the troubled father 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.”
Still recalling the ugly circumstances that led to the disappearance of their baby, he said, “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 counselled against that, on the grounds that it was wrong to immediately back a baby that had just been fed. 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. In an emotion laden voice, Ufondu, pleaded with the woman to please return their baby, while urging the public to join them in prayers for a miracle. He also appealed to Kano state commissioner of police to intervene in order to get their child back..
However, it was learnt that the incident was reported to the Market Police outpost and authorities of Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Church in the state but as at the time of filling this report the police had not commenced investigation yet.
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