Police arrest suspected child abductor and rescue two-month-old baby in Ikot Abasi
Police in Akwa Ibom State have arrested a 23-year-old woman suspected of abducting a two-month-old baby in Ikot Abasi, authorities said.
The Akwa Ibom State Police Command said the child was rescued during a swift search operation following a report made at a police station on 26 February 2026.
According to the police, the baby’s mother, identified as Peace, reported the incident at about 08:28 local time alongside her own mother after discovering that her two-month-and-three-week-old son had gone missing.
Preliminary investigations indicated that the child’s mother had briefly left the baby in the care of the grandmother at about 05:59. The grandmother later left the baby asleep on a bed while she took a bath, but upon returning to the room at about 06:30 the infant could not be found.
Police enquiries later led investigators to a suspect identified as Goodnews, from Ikot Etetuk village, who allegedly gained access to the room by tearing the window net before taking the baby.
Officers carried out a search within the area and arrested the suspect with the child still in her possession, police said. The baby was safely recovered.
The Commissioner of Police in the state, Baba Mohammed Azare, said the arrest demonstrated the command’s commitment to protecting vulnerable members of the public, especially children.
He urged parents and guardians to remain vigilant and take precautionary measures to prevent similar incidents.
Police say the suspect will be prosecuted in accordance with the law.
