Abducted baby sold for N800,000 rescued in Lagos

THE police in Lagos State are on a manhunt for the buyer of a baby stolen by a house help in Shomolu area of the state, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) has reported.

The state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Benjamin Hundeyin, confirmed on Monday that the buyer abandoned the baby as the police dragnet was closing in.

Hundeyin said: “In the early hours of Monday, the buyer abandoned the baby at Alade Market, Shomolu, because of intense manhunt and pressure from the police.

“The baby was promptly rescued by the police. She has been handed over to her parents after they positively identified her.”

An X user, simply identified as @Simmm_K, raised the alarm in a post on Saturday that a house help absconded with the baby belonging to her boss.

“A house help ran away with my colleague’s baby this Saturday morning between 1:00 a.m. and 2:00 a.m. in Shomolu,’’ the X user posted.

@Simmm_K, who shared the picture of the teenage house help and the baby, appealed to the police and members of the public to help to find the baby.

She also posted a telephone number to be reached whenever or wherever the house help or baby was found.

She later updated the post stating that the house help had been arrested in Ikorodu, but without the baby.

According to Simmm_K, the house help confessed to have sold the baby for N800,000.

Simmm_K further updated her post that the baby had been found in the early hours on Monday.

“I’m glad to notify everyone that the baby was found this morning [Monday] at Shomolu.

“Many thanks to everyone and the police for helping. The baby has been reunited with the family,” she posted.