Good Samaritan disappears with week-old baby

A health worker in Bokkos Local Government Area of Plateau State is on
the run after allegedly stealing a one-week old baby from her mother
while posing to be a well wisher.
The suspect (name withheld) was reported to have disappeared with the
baby whom she offered to carry while the mother's stitches were being
removed at the clinic. The mother had been delivered of the baby
through Caesarian section a week before.
A family member said the suspect had visited the house with new
clothes for the baby and later offered to accompany the mother who was
on her way to the clinic to remove her stitches.
The unsuspecting mother agreed to go with her and left her child with
the fleeing suspect as she went in to be attended to at the clinic.
However, the suspect had disappeared with the baby by the time she was
through.
She reportedly asked those around of the whereabouts of the woman but
no one had any useful information. She eventually raised alarm and
people joined in the search for the suspect but she was nowhere to be
found.
The theft of the baby has thrown the family and the area into despair
with many describing the incident as strange in the area.
Interim Administrator of Bokkos Local Government, Mrs. Hanatu Dantong
has, meanwhile, visited the family to sympathise with them, promising
to work with security men for the recovery of the missing baby.
According to her, "this thing affects the whole of us. There is no way
we will sit down in office and say we don't have anything to do with
the case. This thing is not good for our image, that is why we came
immediately the matter got to us to sympathize with the family."
She called for prayers towards the recovery of the baby and advised
parents to be wary of people who come around posing as friends as they
might have evil intentions.
Father of the stolen baby, Mr. Mahana Zachariah, said it was shocking
that someone would be so heartless to steal a week old baby, adding:
"I hear this type of stories and read about them but now it has
happened in my house."
He thanked the administrator for the visit, describing it as encouraging.